In efforts to rehabilitate and upgrade transport and market infrastructure with aim of improving the accessibility of agricultural production areas and reduce transportation costs and make better use of agricultural production potentials and increasing incomes of the farming population in northern Uganda, the Ministry of Local Government has signed service contracts for Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) for Acholi and Lango subregions.
The ESIAs are a prerequisite before construction of the roads could commence. The signing of the contracts at the ministry’s headquarters in Kampala with Gesch Consult and Ardent Services shows the ministry’s commitment in improving livelihoods for people of northern Uganda. The work that both Gesch and Ardent will perform are under the Rural Development and Food Security in Northern Uganda (RUDSEC) project, a 5-year initiative supported by the Republic of Germany through the German Technical Cooperation.
The project is improving roads and market infrastructure in nine districts of Acholi (Lamwo, Pader, Agago), Lango (Lira, Dokolo, Oyam) and Teso (Soroti, Serere, and Kaberamaido) subregions.
Speaking at the signing of the contracts, the Ministry of Local Government Undersecretary Hajji Kaliphan M. Sewante emphasized the importance of completing the assignment on time. “There will be no time extensions on this assignment so you should make your deliverables promptly with the desired quality as has been stipulated in your contracts,” he said.
The ESIAs will ensure that adverse social and environmental impacts are avoided or minimized and that project activities comply with national environmental and social requirements. “The assignment that you are undertaking is coming at a time when climate change potentially poses one of the greatest challenges for Uganda to realize its full development potential with many local governments facing significant challenges due to changing climate situations,” said Eng. Paul Mukasa Kasule, the RUDSEC Projector Coordinator.
Environmental challenges, Hajji Sewante said, “are affecting local governments financially by increasing their recurrent and development costs but also reducing their tax base. This has significant effect on the speed at which local authorities and communities can harness their local resources to spur Local Economic Development (LED).
The work in Acholi subregion will be carried out by Ardent Services and will cover 124.1km while Gesch Consult will work in the Lango subregion covering 90.8km. The contract for the Teso subregion is undergoing the approval processes at the Solicitor General’s office and will be signed upon clearance, Eng Kasule said.
Speaking on behalf of the consultants, Gloria Sibo Muhwezi, the Managing Director of Gesch Consult committed to deliver the assignment on time. “We shall not only deliver on time, we shall ensure high quality work as well,” she committed.
In addition to the roads, the project will also support the development of key market infrastructure. Markets slated for rehabilitation and improvement include Amach, Minakulu, Katine, Pader Town Council, Aswa, Dokolo, Loro, Dakabela, Abone, Arum, Oliga, Padibe, Oriamo, and Kidetok Mulago.
The RUDSEC Project is expected to directly benefit over 3,000 smallholder farmers by improving their access to markets, reducing transportation costs, and minimizing post-harvest losses. Moreover, the project is projected to create over 1,000 employment opportunities in construction, engineering design, and supervision roles.
The awarding of the ESIA contracts comes after the ministry contracted UB-Consulting Engineers, Kom Consult, and LEA Associates to oversee the planning and supervision of critical road works across the Acholi, Lango, and Teso sub-regions under the same RUDSEC Project.
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