Parliament concerned over reports of inflated cost of road construction in Kampala

Members of Parliament (MP) on the committee said that despite the funding, the works especially on the drainage system are wanting and as such the city continues to experience floods.

The committee, which is chaired by John Bosco lkojo, interfaced with KCCA officials led by the Authority’s executive director, Dorothy Kisaka.

The committee members including lsingiro South MP Alex Byarugaba and Buliisa County MP Allan Atugonza queried KCCA over shoddy works on roads, drainage channels, and traffic lights done under the Kampala institutional and Infrastructure Development Projects (KIIDP).

“You know these places flood every year, but you keep putting on small culverts which you replace every year, can’t you do something to address it once and for all,” said Byarugaba.

KCCA has so far utilised $155m out of $184m project sum, to pave 385km of roads in Kampala and designed 185km of roads, but the MPs are not satisfied with the quality of work done.

Atugonza questioned the quoted unit cost of road construction works, which KCCA officials blame on the high cost of land compensation.

The committee also questioned the loss of over $17m which is approximately sh62b in poundage by KCCA.

According to KCCA, while securing the $175m loan from the International Development Association, $17.08m which is 9.75% was not disbursed due to exchange loss. But the MPs were not moved by the explanation.

The World Bank loan, which was meant for road construction and upgrading as well as drainage systems, widening of pedestrian walkways and signaling at junctions in Kampala City, was approved in 2005.

“We invested money in the Nakivubo drainage channel, but if you go there now and see its current state, you get disheartened,” Byarugaba said.

Byarugaba also descried the quality of city lights which he said quickly gets dim after installation, leaving the city in darkness. He asked KCCA to also fight thefts of security lights which he said was rampant.

Women representative for Kigtum District Lillian Aber was concerned that the project delayed and thus costing Government a lot of money accrued through interest.

The project was initially planned to end by 2020 but it has been extended to May 2023.

“We are looking at money borrowed which government has to pay for; the time we waste translates into money wasted. Have we even calculated how much we have lost?” asked Aber.

KCCA’s Finance Director, Don Kitabire, said the project was challenged by financial loss worth $17m incurred through foreign exchange. 

“World Bank uses currency called SDR, they changed money from SDR to US dollars so we had a loss which we however communicated to the Finance Ministry,” said Kitabire.

The Project Coordinator, Edson Masereka, said the project has improved 70 kilometers of roads, with some upgraded from gravel to tarmac. The project has also reconstructed some of the roads, improved drainage system, installed signals at junctions and expanded pathways.