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Works on Shs 4.6 Trillion Kampala-Jinja expressway to begin soon

Kampala Jinja Expressway
Kampala Jinja Expressway

The minister was yesterday responding to Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, who raised questions about the commencement of the project, whose funding has already been cleared by parliament.

The project, covering a 77 km stretch, has been stalled since the loan approval in 2020, with the primary delay attributed to issues surrounding project-affected persons.

During a plenary sitting on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, Among emphasized the need for swift action, highlighting the government's responsibility to commence work on the expressway.

In response, Minister Katumba Wamala outlined the complexities involved in getting the expressway project off the ground.

He explained that the project's delay was due to the protracted process of land acquisition and compensating those affected by the project.

 “We are now at the stage of contracting," he stated, stressing the intricate steps required for a Public Private Partnership of this magnitude to reach maturity.

Katumba Wamala further elaborated on the challenges faced, including the need to compensate over 90 percent of the project-affected persons and to resettle individuals under special circumstances, such as the elderly, who legally cannot be given monetary compensation alone. These steps, he noted, are time-consuming but essential for ensuring a fair and humane process for all involved.

The Minister also announced a significant milestone with the Attorney General acquiring the partial risk agreement, marking the last stage before procuring a contractor.

That means that now we can put out the project for contracting because most of the hurdles have been overcome," Katumba Wamala said, indicating the government's readiness to begin the contractor procurement process.

Additionally, Katumba Wamala addressed concerns regarding the provision of road maintenance equipment across the country. He acknowledged the arrival of 90 percent of the required equipment but noted the remaining balance of Shs6 billion needed to complete the procurement. This statement came in response to concerns raised by Hon. Dan Atwijukire regarding the government's previous commitments to district road maintenance support.

The Speaker, Anita Among, concluded the session by giving the Minister a two-week deadline to present a comprehensive statement on the status of road works across the country, underlining the parliament's commitment to transparency and accountability in national infrastructure projects.

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