UGANDA, Mukono | Real Muloodi News | The government has presented a loan request of $608.66 million (Shs2.26 trillion) to Parliament to fund the upgrading of roads in Greater Kampala.
Minister of State for Trade, Mr David Bahati, tabled the request during a plenary sitting on Wednesday 31st May 2023.
The loan is being sought from the World Bank and Agence Francaise de Development (ADB) to support the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Urban Development Programme.
The funds will be used to improve road infrastructure in Kampala, Wakiso, Mukono, and Mpigi, including the municipalities of Entebbe, Kira, Makindye-Ssabagabo, Nansana, and Mukono.
The program aims to address challenges such as flooding, traffic congestion, un-signalised junctions, and poor road infrastructure.
It also intends to upgrade strategic interconnecting roads, junctions, drainage channels, markets, and workspaces to enhance productivity and livability in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan area, promoting sustainable socio-economic development.
The transit corridors included in the plan are the Kampala-Jinja Expressway, Kampala-Southern bypass, Kampala-Bombo Expressway, Nakasero-Kampala Northern bypass, Kampala outer-belt ring road, and Kampala flyover Phase II.
Mr Bahati emphasised that the road upgrades will be part of the domestic revenue mobilisation strategy, encouraging the use of rental properties located outside the central business district.
“The programme will also contribute to addressing environmental degradation and flooding in this region through construction of climate and disaster resilient infrastructure, planting of trees and construction of drainage channels, and greening of some of the areas along the road reserves,” said Minister Bahati.
The loan proposal has been referred to the House Committees of National Economy and Presidential Affairs for a thorough examination by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Thomas Tayebwa.
The committees will scrutinise the loan request to ensure its feasibility and benefits for the Greater Kampala area.
READ MORE LIKE THIS:
Kampala City Officials Asked to Account for USh1 Trillion Allocated for Construction of 29 Roads
