Africa-Press – Uganda. After a hot spell, this week the rains returned and with them a reminder of Kampala city’s problems. These include potholes and flooding owing to poor drainage as well as a host of other problems.
There has been talk of resurfacing, filling potholes and repairing roads around the city. That work has never been more urgent.
At the end of April, following loud protests on Twitter in an exhibition which showcased the state of Kampala’s roads, the President directed for the urgent release of Shs6 billion for the repair of numerous badly damaged roads.
The figure quoted as necessary to fix Kampala’s roads is more than 100 times the ordered emergency release.
The delay in mobilising the necessary shs800b for fixing Kampala’s roads is attributed to inadequate funding, late releases and years of neglect. Of the 2,100 kilometres of road in the city, less than one third are tarmac.
Coming close on the heels of the ordered Shs6b for road repairs was another directive for the Special Forces Command to take over the management of potholes, suggesting that perhaps the grip of Kampala Capital City Authority on its role of city management is beginning to slip, thus the need to shore the team up with military backup.
As the rains make an appearance yet again, little has been done, save for filling a few potholes with murram in selected areas.
Almost two months down the road, there is little visible work and the pains that road users experienced and complained about then, are all too present.
Updates have been given by city authorities when they recently appeared before Parliament but there is divergence between what has been reported and the realities on the ground.
There have been many casualties in the form of lost time, damaged property and risk to life from the ever-widening potholes in the city, now compounded by flooding when the rains come down.
Not only is it harder to carry out road works in poor weather, the bad road surface compounds the situation when it is combined with flooding conditions.
A clear plan and advice on procedure for carrying out road construction and repair works needs to be availed and this is especially critical given the involvement of multiple agencies.
Perhaps most importantly, Ugandans need the assurance that the matter of road repairs which is critical to the life and livelihood of city dwellers and the country is being prioritised.
For More News And Analysis About Uganda Follow Africa-Press
