The management of Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has revealed that they have a very limited budget to rehabilitate all roads in Kampala that have potholes.
The revelation was made in the statement published by the KCCA management on Tuesday evening showing that they are currently constrained by the limited budget provisions to turn around the dire situation on most of the Kampala roads.
The Authority also revealed that they are currently planning to fix damaged roads based on available resources or budgets, the primary source being the Uganda Road Fund.
“We cannot trivialize the issue of potholes on our roads. KCCA is aware that potholes drive up road user costs through frequent vehicle repairs, long travel times, high accident rates, and others,” reads part of the statement.
Budget issues
According to the statement, this financial year, KCCA faced a serious delay in the release of funding for both road development and road maintenance. That is one of the reasons that they could not continue with the pothole repairs, even after properly identifying areas in need of intervention. They receive money for roads and drainage development and maintenance from the Government of Uganda and from the Uganda Road Fund.
“KCCA needs anywhere between Shs75 to 100 Billion annually in order to be able to effectively maintain our roads and yet we get only Shs 26 Billion for this task. We have engaged the relevant government agencies, that is, the Ministry of Finance, and the committees of Parliament for Infrastructure and Presidential Affairs. We have met the Parliamentary committees to raise awareness of the problem of “dead roads” or roads that have outlived their useful lives,” reads part of the statement
Currently, in this final quarter of the financial year, according to KCCA management, the Government of Uganda has released the development budget and the Authority is ably going to use part of this budget to fix the sections that fit within the funds received.
“We expect that this, combined with the release from the Uganda Road Fund will be able to turn around the outlook of the blackspots,” reads the statement.
The management also revealed that KCCA is not the only Agency facing challenges with budgets but the situation is also affecting most Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) which too have had to scale back their activities.
“Unfortunately for KCCA, the services we are supposed to provide such as road and drainage maintenance to avert the current situation of poor roads and flooding are in the full view of everyone hence the constant frontline criticism. Despite the foregoing, we are working tirelessly with the various budget stakeholders to ensure that the current situation does not persist longer than it already has so everyone can enjoy smooth roads in a flood-free city. KCCA is committed to delivering a Smart City under our core pillar of infrastructure development.”
Why potholes?
According to KCCA, Kampala City has a total road network of 2,100KM, of which only 30 per cent are paved roads while the rest (70 per cent) are unpaved or earth roads.
It is worth noting that most of the paved roads have served far beyond their full lifespan of twenty years and are due for overhaul or reconstruction, which explains the high prevalence of potholes and other road damages.
The situation has not been helped by the increased traffic levels on the roads which in turn causes increased wear and tear. By December 2022, KCCA had recorded an area of 8,500 Square meters of potholes, spread across the five divisions. In December 2022, work on the potholes started in earnest with the funding that was available. KCCA covered potholes on several roads across the five divisions.
These include Zzimwe Road, Katwe Road, Mobutu Road, Ggaba Road, Nsambya Estate, Bukasa Ring (Makindye Division). Kampala road, Bombo Road, Mackinon Road, Kyagwe road, Yusuf Lule road, George street (Central Division); Katalima road, Naguru Avenue, Kisaasi-Kyanja, Kinawataka road, Ntinda-Kisaasi (Nakawa Division); Masaka Road, Wakaliga road, Kalema road, Nsibambi road, Lubaga road, Kaweesi road (Lubaga Division); Bombo road, Binaisa road, Tufnel drive, Mawanda road, Nkinzi road, Kisota road, Gayaza Road (Kawempe Division).
Other road repair works done include sectional repairs (heavy grading) on Kiteezi Road, Bombo Road (near Kubiri Roundabout), Sadler Way (Naguru Drive), Naguru Avenue, Katwe Road, Salaama Road and Mukwano Road.
As of now, the most affected roads with potholes are under reconstruction using external financing. Also, the Government of Uganda with funding from the African Development Bank has embarked on the Kampala City Roads Rehabilitation Project, KCRRP, which will reconstruct forty-one roads in Kampala City. They will cover at least 69km.
The management however asserted that there are many in Kampala Capital City that are in pristine condition, without a pothole.
These include; Upper Kololo, Archer Road, Luzige Road, Mpabaan, Ntinda I, Ntinda II, Mutugo Tank Hill, Naguru Close, Kabalega Road, National Water Roads, Kawuku Road, Bukasa ring road, Kevina, Apaas, Juke, Nsambya – Katwe road, Mutundwe road, Kabusu road, Mufunya road, Kitunzi road, Nabulagala Road, Nalukolongo road, Kalinda road, Lubiri ring road, Bawalakata road.
Other roads which were recently completed include; John Babiha (Acacia) Avenue, Nakawa-Ntinda Road, Windsor Crescent, Factory Lane, Enterprise Road, Lukuli Road, and Kabuusu- Bunamwaya -Lweeza Road. Kulambiro ring road and Najeera link were upgraded to the tarmac.
However, it must be noted that KCCA’s reaction follows the pressure from an online campaign dubbed ‘Kampala pothole exhibition’ which has exposed many Kampala roads in a poor state with big, large, shallow and deep potholes.
The campaign has pulled a lot of attention from many stakeholders including the Parliament.
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