UNRA Announces Changes on Kampala-Entebbe Express Highway

John Byabagambi Minister of State of Works explaining changes of works to Li Ruogu the President of EXIM Bank of China at Busega.

The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) on Thursday announced changes in the scope of work a development the Authority is intended to save tax payers from losing USD50Millions Prisca Wanyenya reports.

Revealing the changes of scope of work for the China Communication Construction Company Limited which is undertaking works on the state of the art Kampala-Entebbe Express Highway, during the media tour at Busega in Kampala, John Byabagambi the Minister of State for Works noted that the contractor has been given to construct part of the Mpigi-Kampala highway that is to intersect the Kampala-Entebbe Express highway.

Busega intersect where Kampala-Entebbe Express Highway will intersect with Mpigi-Kampala Highway.
Busega intersect where Kampala-Entebbe Express Highway will intersect with Mpigi-Kampala Highway.

Byabagambi explained that, “We realized that after the completion of the Kampala-Express Highway, it will require br

Eng. Dr David Luyimbazi Director Planning UNRA taking Hon. John Byabagambi through the two projects' works.
Eng. Dr David Luyimbazi Director Planning UNRA taking Hon. John Byabagambi through the two projects’ works.
eaking the bridge intersect at Busega in 2years time especially when constructing Mpigi-Kampala Highway. So in order to save tax payers from losing USD 30-50ghway, the contractor scope of work has been increased and CCCC will be entailed to construct an additional 9km on Mpigi-Kampala Highway.

It is believed that Mpigi-Kamapala Highway carries a length of 37km but CCCC will construct 9km which is expected to cost USD150Millions and the other part of the project will be carried on as planned in 2years time.

Hon. John Byabagambi posing for a group photo after inspection of works at Busega.
Hon. John Byabagambi posing for a group photo after inspection of works at Busega.

David Luyimbazi, the Director Planning UNRA noted that the new project however won’t affect the ongoing works for the contractor and noted that the contract price has therefore changed because they have to cater for changes in the scope of work.

He said that, “The new works on Mpigi-Kampala highway are estimated to cost USD150Millions and the Ministry of Works and Transport are yet to meet with the Minister of Finance to discuss funding of the new project and he affirmed that Finance had agreed to cater for these changes.

However, Luyimbazi noted that the time frame for completition of the Kampala-Entebbe Express Highway won’t be affected as these two projects will be carried out coherently but changes are to be witnessed in the contract price and scope of works.

The Busega intersect where the changes in scope of work are to be taken on.
The Busega intersect where the changes in scope of work are to be taken on.

“The additional works are very complex and require a lot of land to establish the pillars for the bridge. That is why we have chosen to use the same contractor because they have the expertise let alone avoid disruptions with another contractor not forgetting reduce time and costs of identifying another contractor by going through another procurement process” explained Luyimbazi.

Responding to queries on compensation for the Kampala-Entebbe Highway, Byabagambi noted that challenges are still holding back the progress of works despite the fact that government had fully released all the funding for the compensation.

“We are still having challenges with compensation especially with some land lords who are absent, while some are disputing the price the Government Chief Valuer attached to their land. But with the advice from the Solicitor General, we shall keep this money with courts until all these contentions are settled.

John Byabagambi Minister of State of Works explaining changes of works to Li Ruogu the President of EXIM Bank of China at Busega.
John Byabagambi Minister of State of Works explaining changes of works to Li Ruogu the President of EXIM Bank of China at Busega.

He however warned the people affected by the project against selfishly frustrating public project because they want to fulfill their individual ambitions.

“Those individuals that are still frustrating the project should know that government won’t sit back watch them interfere with development. They should know that the Ministry is mandated in the constitution to compulsorily take on this land, but we wouldn’t want to reach to such an extreme.”

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3 thoughts on “UNRA Announces Changes on Kampala-Entebbe Express Highway

  1. Unless I am missing something, how can a 9km stretch of road cost USD 150 million? Can there be a breakdown of cost on the 9km of Mpigi-Kampala?

  2. The moment you decide to use Chinases as your investor that is the kind of thing you must expect,Museveni has led the country to drainage and destorying it for good because all he cares about is the money he gets bribed by the chinases we all know how chineses do the worst type of work in Africa but because they brib our leaders they always take over all the big investment projects,look at the substandard road they build in Uganda but still this guy gives them every project,this is like a wastage of our taxi payer`s money,you going to tell me that those guys give us loans remember they give us aloan but still they are the ones who benfit from this loan because they are the ones who do the projects after giving us the money and they do substandard things in the long run the money they borrowed goes back to them and we still have to pay them back with there shirt type of roads and project they do in the country,Ugandans can`t you really see that Museveni and his people are just destroying the country and working so hard to put it in very huge debt while those road they build are substandard.Can you really give me an example of any country in Africa where the chinases are and its developed those guys have just destoryed and taken every feedom from the Africans by using and bribing the African leaders,i just hope we one we all wake up and say no to such leaders like museveni and his people who only care about the mouth forgetting that this country belongs to all the people.Chinases never create jobs because they always come with chinases to do projects in Africa and to make the matters worse is that they use chinases from presion with out any experince that is why you see substandard work they always do in Africa.

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