Govt secures sh750b for Masindi-Pader road

The upgrade of the 191km road running from Rwenkunyu in Masindi through Apac and Lira to Puranga town in Pader is expected to begin around November after Government signed contracts with the builders.

The road, which starts at three kilometers from Masindi town in Rwenkunyu village on the Masindi-Kafu bridge road, connects to Kampala-Gulu highway, taking traffic to Masindi Port where passengers cross River Nile to Apac by ferry. It then continues through Apac and Lira towns and terminates at Puranga in Pader district.

The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) executive director, Allen Kagina, signed agreements with Sadeem Al Kuwait General Trading and Contracting and Turkish Gulsan Insaat Sanayi Turizm Nakliyat Ve Tecaret - the firms hired to build the road - at the authority's headquarters in Kampala on Thursday.

The project has been split into two parts. The Kuwaiti firm will build the 90.9km Rwenkunyu-Apac stretch for over sh337.5b while the Turkish company will upgrade the 100.1km Apac-Lira-Puranga section for more than sh416.3b. The project will be funded through a loan from Islamic Bank.

According to the contractual agreements, however, the project would not involve building a bridge over the river. This means contractors will deliver the two sections of the road on edges of the river. Passengers will still rely on the ferry to cross the river. But a source at the roads authority said a bridge over the river is under design and its construction will be an independent project.

As part of the lender's conditions, the participation in the bidding process was restricted to companies in Organization for Islamic Cooperation member countries. Local companies are expected to execute 30% of the civil works on construction projects funded by Uganda. However, the provision does not apply to projects funded through loans like this project.

"The one who pays the piper calls the tune. Actually the proposal before Parliament says 40% of the work should be done by local companies on projects funded directly by Government," Kagina added, "We implement the 30% on projects funded by Uganda currently,"

However, contractors still hire local companies on projects financed through loans, the authority's boss said. "It is difficult for a contractor to undertake a whole project without Ugandan companies or workers even if the funding source is external. For example, 500 Ugandans will be employed on this project," The lender always has conditions. If we had money we would not be borrowing,"

Important corridor

Kagina explained that the project which will be linked to the Puranga-Acholibur (61.5km) and Acholibur-Musingo (86km) roads form a major regional corridor connecting Uganda and South Sudan. The upgrade of Acholibur-Musingo road was completed in 2018. The UNRA head said the process of securing funds for the construction of Puranga-Acholibur has been set in motion.

The 191km project, the roads authority said, will involve upgrading the existing two-lane gravel road to asphalt paved path standard.

"Upgrading this road will improve access to markets, a reduction in public transport costs and saving time, road safety, access to social services, and boost local economies. It will enhance inter-regional trade volumes, especially between Uganda and South Sudan and regional competitiveness," Kagina added.

She explained that the procurement for the project kicked off about five years ago, but it could not take place due to financial constraints. "This is a milestone. The project was put on hold because the loan was suspended in the past. It is a very important road for us," Kagina added.

She stated that the authority has already secured over 50km of the project's right of way, and would be through with the activity by June 2021. The construction of the project will last 36 months.  There will be a 12-month defects liability period after commissioning. Kagina said the contractors would be given three months to mobilize equipment and that construction might begin in November.

The roads agency asked the contractors to adhere to the international environmental and social safety guidelines in the project's execution, adding that sanctions will be applied in the event of violations.

"No form of child labour, gender based violence and sexual exploitation, environmental degradation or unsafe working practices will be tolerated on this project. We have put in place frameworks where we shall work with communities along the project to ensure that these requirements are enforced," Kagina stated.

Sezgin Koral, a counselor at the Turkish embassy in Kampala, appreciated the Government for hiring a company from his country to execute part of the project. He said it would be executed to Uganda's satisfaction.