Minister defends additional borrowing for key road projects

Finance state minister Henry Musasizi has found himself in the hot seat after being confronted by Obongi County legislator Dr George Didi Boka.

This unfolded during plenary on September 18, 2024, chaired by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa.

This was shortly after Musasizi (Rubanda East, NRM) tabled a proposal to borrow $15.22m (about shillings 56.3 billion) from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and $73.1 million from the African Development Fund.

This is in respect towards the construction of Katuna-Muko-Kamuganguzi road in Southwest and Laropi-Moyo-Afogi (37km) which traverses three sub-counties Laropi, Metu, Moyo town council before terminating with South Sudan at Jale.

At the core, the projects are poised towards improving rural transport connectivity, transforming the socio-economic outlook of the area and facilitating regional integration in Kabale, Rubanda, and Moyo districts.

However, Boka (NRM) demanded a clear explanation of funds previously allocated to two critical infrastructure projects. This was in respect to the Laropi-Moyo-Afogi (37km) and Katuna-Muko-Kamuganguzi road (104km) in southwest Uganda, respectively.

“On December 1, last year the board of the African Development Bank approved a project worth $252 million for the same project. Before we get additional funding for the same project, wouldn’t it be procedurally right to give this Parliament a status update of what the $252m, which was borrowed sometime back, has done and justify the additional financing,” Boka said.

Although such questions are typically reserved for National Economy Committee sittings, where loans are thoroughly scrutinised, Musasizi swiftly defended himself, insisting that it was crucial to clear the air immediately.

“What I have just presented is just additional. Prior to this in July 2020, this project was approved but before the detailed designs were made. And after detailed designs, there was an adjustment, a need to increase the cost. So, we are borrowing and this is why we are here,” he emphasized.

"Where the money went, we cannot start on the project until we have the full amount. We cannot procure a contractor until we are sure that the money we have is enough,” he added.

State of Katuna-Muko-Kamuganguzi road

According to a July 19, 2023, Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) report, the Katuna-Muko-Kamuganguzi road, which is a gravel road, lies in a poor state characterised by a narrow worn-out carriageway and inadequate drainage.

Yet it services a very rich agricultural hinterland and links spectacular potential tourism sites most especially Lake Bunyonyi, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Mgahinga National Park, and Queen Elizabeth National Park among other sites in Kabale, Rukiga, Kanungu, Ntungamo, Rukungiri, Kanungu, Rubanda districts and beyond the boundaries of Uganda to DRC and Rwanda.

Landslide

This is not the first time this road has generated headlines. During plenary on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, Musasizi promised to inspect the aforementioned road.

“I was not yet notified; it has gone to the extent of being cut off. I am going to check if that is true, the money for handling that emergency can be found immediately. Lastly, I also wish to inform my brother and our people in Rubanda together with Katuna where Bahati comes from that the road is one of the roads we have provided funding for tarmacking,” Musasizi promised.

This was after a reminder by Moses Kamuntu (Rubanda West, NRM).

“We have a UNRA road that covers the entire sub-county of Bufundi, surrounded by Lake Bunyonyi and that road has been abandoned by UNRA for the last five years. Now to access Kashasi sub-county, I must pass Katuna covering 100km instead of 10km from Rubanda Town Council,” Kamuntu pointed out.

He added: “On tourism roads, we have 15 gorilla groups in Rubanda West, all of them roads are cut off and you know these groups fetch a lot of money on a daily basis and I wonder how the Government can abandon such a lucrative business”.