Katosi road construction boosts business, trade

Jul 07, 2017

The tarmacking of Mukono-Katosi Road started in 2014 and it’s currently nearer completion.

Travelling to Katosi landing site from Mukono town has become one of the smoothest journeys since the road was tarmacked this year.

Whereas the transport costs have not gone down from sh3000 to Mukono and overloading is still a big problem as it is in many upcountry routes, the time it takes to travel in a taxi has sharply gone down.

Julius Kirabo, a taxi driver who plies the road told New Vision that before the road was tarmacked, he would drive a journey of 20 minutes in two hours. “In the end, I would earn less for a day,” Kirabo said.

 art of the road at yetumeukasa which was tarmacked because of delayed land compensation hotos by enry subuga Part of the road at Kyetume-Bukasa which was tarmacked because of delayed land compensation. 

 
The tarmacking of Mukono-Katosi Road started in 2014 and it’s currently nearer completion.

But until this year, many people who plied Katosi road cried foul of its status. Besides being riddled with potholes, the cloud of dust that engulfed users ensured that they left the route with marks.

Charles Oboth, a businessman dealing in fish from Katosi landing site told Sunday Vision that he would spend sh4m in monthly repairs of his vehicles because of the potholes on the road that hit his vehicles.

Oboth said the potholes necessitated that he repaired his vehicles regularly. “Sometimes, I would lose millions of shillings whenever the trucks got stuck in the mud along the way and my fish perished,” he said.

He said on rainy days, the vehicles would even spend a day to reach Mukono town. But with the tarmacking of the road, he can now plan his journey as he spends between 20 to 30 minutes to reach town.

Oboth revealed that his profit margin has also shot-up and that he is now employing more people.

Elisa Mukasa, the secretary of the landing site’s land committee said the improvement in the transport means to Katosi has attracted more people to the area which is causing a boom in business and growth.

 art of tarmacked atosi road at asaala valley in akisunga subcounty Part of tarmacked Katosi road at Kasaala valley in Nakisunga sub-county

 
Mukasa said when UNRA completes the projects as planned and restores the clean water system that was destroyed to open the boundaries for the road; the landing site will be of international level.

The landing site’s fisheries officer, Prossy Nakiliza said the improved transportation has boosted the quality of fish being sold on the market.

Juliet Tarida, the LC1 chairperson for Bukasa-Kyetume said that the cost of land along the road has also shot up which is an advantage for the locals.  
 

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