Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has finally constituted a roads committee that has not been in existence since 2008, to oversee road infrastructure in the city.
The committee will follow up on the budget for road maintenance, works, and monitoring to improve the face of Kampala.
The committee is made up of 28 members, including the Lord Mayor, all Kampala MPs, the Executive Director, the KCCA Deputy Director Roads and Drainage, all Division Mayor's, all Town Clerks and a Division Engineer from each of five divisions. Ronald Balimwezo, the Nakawa East MP was elected as chairperson of the committee.
The City Roads Committee is established under Section 25(2) of the Uganda Road Fund Act, 2008 and the attendant regulation outlines their role, which essentially is to provide oversight over Road Funds allocated to local governments to undertake routine and periodic road maintenance of their roads.
The exercise took place on Thursday at City Hall following a meeting that was convened by the KCCA Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka. The law designates the 28 members of the committee to choose their chairperson.
After being elected Balimwezo, emphasised the need to enhance the financing of roads in the city, citing the fact that only Sh10 billion of the infrastructure budget of Shs 78 billion was earmarked for roads next financial year.
“We all need to work together to ensure roads in Kampala are worked on. I want to urge the government and Parliament to allocate more money to KCCA to work on these roads. This is our city, we need to fund it,” Balimwezo said.
According to Uganda Road Fund (URF), the committee will be responsible for overseeing the seasonal maintenance and construction of roads within the city, and ensuring transparency and accountability in the use of URF funds allocated for road maintenance.
Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago said that he was glad that although there have been numerous hurdles, designated members of the city roads committee have been able to converge and deliberate on the many salient issues concerning the status of roads in the City .
He noted that there is urgent need for the central government and parliament to enhance the vote for infrastructural development in the City expressing his dismay at the recent City roads budget cuts.
He lauded the formation of the roads committee as a new chapter that shall foster frugality in road works, foster rule of law and ensure accountability, which are key pillars in achieving a vibrant, attractive, sustainable, inclusive and livable City.
“We have generated consensus and elected Eng Ronald Balimwezo as head of the roads committee. I'm glad that as city leaders we are speaking one voice on the issue of Kampala roads. The roads are a menace to all of us,” Lukwago said.
He also revealed that apart from the city roads committee, the Roads Act 2019 establishes the Roads Authority headed by Lord Mayor.
“On Monday we are going to have a meeting with the three of us, me, the ED and Hon Balimwezo to see how to handle the businesses in the city,” Lukwago said.
KCCA Executive Director Dorothy Kisaka expressed her delight that political leaders would be involved in the maintenance of roads.
She highlighted that the URF had allocated KCCA Shs 26 billion for road maintenance in the 2022/2023 financial year, with Shs 21 billion already disbursed.