Danida funds sh27b road project
Oct 23, 2008
A TWO-YEAR project to ease access to rural areas through improvement and maintenance of road networks has kicked off in nine districts. The project uses labour-based technology.
By Joel Ogwang
A TWO-YEAR project to ease access to rural areas through improvement and maintenance of road networks has kicked off in nine districts. The project uses labour-based technology.
The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) funded the Rural Roads Programme (RRP), a sh27b project that started in July.
Stephen Ajalu, the Danish embassy’s programme officer, said the scheme would benefit Lira, Soroti, Apac, Kitgum, Katakwi, Kumi and Mbale.
He noted that while the national roads network of 10,500km is well-developed, with the district roads network of 27,500km in fair condition, the extensive network of 30,000Kms of community access roads remains in a generally poor condition.
Ajalu said the overall objective of RRP was to restore growth in rural incomes, addressing recent increases in inequality and improving access to markets and new technologies. “There was no co-funding. The funds were channelled to the Government through the Poverty Eradication Action Plan,†he said.
Ajalu said sh18.3b was allocated to rehabilitation of district and community access roads, with labour-based training (sh2.1b), institutional support to works ministry (sh5.1b) and coordination (sh666m).
Speaking during a tour of roads in Mbale district recently, Ajalu said it was the first time a development partner followed a government modality in funding a project, with sh24.6b of the sh27b going directly to the treasury.
RRP follows the sh75b five-year (2002-2008) Road Sector Project Support Phase II, also funded by the Danish government. It winds-up at the end of this year.
Tonny Baek, the DANIDA infrastructure engineer, said RSPS II employed labour-based technology in rehabilitating district and community access roads in 15 local governments.
The project followed an earlier one, of 1999-2002, he said, adding that sh30b was spent on rehabilitating 1, 200Kms of district roads.
Other projects included national gravel roads, institutional support as well as starting a labour-based training centre in Mbale.
A TWO-YEAR project to ease access to rural areas through improvement and maintenance of road networks has kicked off in nine districts. The project uses labour-based technology.
The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) funded the Rural Roads Programme (RRP), a sh27b project that started in July.
Stephen Ajalu, the Danish embassy’s programme officer, said the scheme would benefit Lira, Soroti, Apac, Kitgum, Katakwi, Kumi and Mbale.
He noted that while the national roads network of 10,500km is well-developed, with the district roads network of 27,500km in fair condition, the extensive network of 30,000Kms of community access roads remains in a generally poor condition.
Ajalu said the overall objective of RRP was to restore growth in rural incomes, addressing recent increases in inequality and improving access to markets and new technologies. “There was no co-funding. The funds were channelled to the Government through the Poverty Eradication Action Plan,†he said.
Ajalu said sh18.3b was allocated to rehabilitation of district and community access roads, with labour-based training (sh2.1b), institutional support to works ministry (sh5.1b) and coordination (sh666m).
Speaking during a tour of roads in Mbale district recently, Ajalu said it was the first time a development partner followed a government modality in funding a project, with sh24.6b of the sh27b going directly to the treasury.
RRP follows the sh75b five-year (2002-2008) Road Sector Project Support Phase II, also funded by the Danish government. It winds-up at the end of this year.
Tonny Baek, the DANIDA infrastructure engineer, said RSPS II employed labour-based technology in rehabilitating district and community access roads in 15 local governments.
The project followed an earlier one, of 1999-2002, he said, adding that sh30b was spent on rehabilitating 1, 200Kms of district roads.
Other projects included national gravel roads, institutional support as well as starting a labour-based training centre in Mbale.