Africa-Press – Uganda. The Minister of State for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Kabuye Kyofatogabye has revealed that the implementation of Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Urban Development Programme (GKMA-UDP) has now reached 35%.
The program financed through a $566 million (Shs2.1 trillion) from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank Group will work on roads, markets, drainage and other amenities in a bid to give a facelift to Kampala City, Entebbe, Kira, Makindye-Ssabagabo, Mukono and Nansana municipalities as well as Mukono, Mpigi and Wakiso district local governments.
Speaking during the closing ceremony for a training of communication officers from the benefitting areas at Skyz Hotel in Naguru, Kyofatogabye said there has been steady progress in the implementation of the program.
“We are moving well since the project is five years and we have so far covered two years. Soon we shall be going for our midterm review but the most important thing is that the biggest component o the program which takes about 85% of the resources is road construction and improvement and so far, over 14km have been contracted. We have also advertised for more 50km,” Kyofatogabye said.
“That means by September we will have close to 200km and the others can come next year.”
He explained that program is implemented in phases, with those in the first one already at 35% implementation rate.
“Mukono Municipality and Kira were the first to implement and the second phase is at inception since contractors have been got. As a ministry, we are now at 50% because if we are to construct 330km of roads and now 149km have been contracted, it means a big distance has been covered.”
The minister said they are now going to the third phase as the ministry, having advertised another 45km.
According to Kyofatogabye, by the end of this year, at least 85% of implementation of the program by the ministry will have been covered and 45% in terms of physical work on the ground.
He however said there have been delays in some areas where people were not willing to voluntarily provide the right of way for road construction, through agreements or other forms of consent.
“Some of our people have not yet appreciated the benefit in voluntarily providing the right of way for road construction. If you are near the road and provide lets say, 1.5metres, you will ensure the road is tarmacked, lights provided, water pipes and drainage channels among others. This means those with commercial buildings which had been abandoned will now get tenants. It is high time people’s eyes are opened,” he said.
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