By Frank Kamuntu
Bukedi: H.E President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has today commissioned the Bumbobi-Lwakhakha Road (44km) during his campaign trail in the Bukedi region.
The project is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Government of Uganda. The road aims to boost trade between Uganda and Kenya.
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This project has been undertaken by the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA). The work was expected to be completed by September 2020 when on 26 September 2016 UNRA signed a contract with China State Construction Engineering for up-gradation of 44.5 km Mbale–Lwakhakha road with consultancy services of SGI JV.
The commencement order was issued in December 2016 and the initial set duration for the project was 24 months, but UNRA approved EoT of 261 days which led to the extension of the completion date to September 2020.
The road has been widened to a width of 10 m that is a carriageway made up of two lanes each measuring 3.5 meters wide plus paved shoulders on either side of the road each measuring 1.5 m in rural areas and 2.0 m wide in trading centres.
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He added, “Uganda has a total road network of about 159,366km (Up from 1,000km when NRM took power in 1986).
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While addressing the people of Manafwa at Manafwa district headquarters shortly after commissioning the road, Mr Museveni said the NRM government has come through on its promise to develop the area with huge developments including roads, electricity and water.
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“We have been saying that we shall change this area even when we did not have money. WE have now delivered our promise as we have done before. And I want to urge you to pay your taxes because if the government does not collect taxes you will not get these roads,” said Mr Museveni.
Adding that “The NRM government is using tax money to build these nice roads and many more are going to be constructed across the country,”