Involve local communities in road construction

By Wakayima Musoke Nsereko

A few weeks ago, Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) executive director, Allen Kagina stated that the authority will not be undertaking new road construction projects for at least two years.

It's not an issue of funds, but it is a move aimed at enabling the authority to first streamline its internal operations and to adequately supervise on-going projects. This move will also enable the works and transport ministry to focus on the Standard Gauge Railway project.

It appears that little of UNRA's budget is allocated to supervision, yet this is important if we are to get value for money or even ensuring that these roads remain safe for the users, especially in the wake of fatal accidents that happened on different highways from the city centre.

If UNRA has been looking for justification to increase the supervision budget, this is the time. As efforts are done to bring on board, key stakeholders in road projects such as Uganda Police (traffic), Uganda National Roads Safety Council, local communities through local councils should not be left out.

The participation of local councils before, during and after road construction should be the foundation of the UNRA supervision campaigns. Among other things, they know where black spots are on particular roads. Some road accidents are not recorded. Police can only record only major accidents, but these communities know which areas are highly prone to accidents.

Rwanda does this and there is no reason for Uganda not to follow suit. Our people must be made to own these roads, because they belong to them. In Rwanda, at any one moment, there's a local person walking down and up a road, supervising it to ensure cleanliness and such other issues such as damages that might need repair.

Where a road goes through a town or a populated area such as the under-construction Hoima Road going through Nansana, communities should be engaged to assist in supervision.

Though this road was in a poor state in addition to being narrow and needed urgent attention. The problem of narrowness has not been solved and two, it will still need re-construction in a maximum of three years, which is costly and show a lack of proper planning by the Government.  

The road is still the same size as before, without pedestrian walks or any form of finishing on the sides. In fact, erosion has already started. I am talking about the section of this road that stretches from Kanisa to Yesu Amala, in Nansana.

And now that UNRA is also considering planting trees alongside these roads, those projects and their supervision, such activities as watering them should be handled by the local communities.

The writer is the MP Nansana Municipality