Japan to fund construction of Kibuye-Busega Expressway

INFRASTRUCTURE

KAMPALA - The government of Japan is going to finance the construction of the Kibuye-Busega Expressway, a new multi-billion modern project that connects Kampala city and surrounding suburbs to a network of expressways at Busega Roundabout.

The network of expressways includes the Busega-Mpigi Expressway in the South, the Entebbe-Kampala Expressway and the Northern Bypass.

The 8km multi-billion project, intended to ease traffic flow and reduce the usually heavy jam through the Metropolitan areas is at appraisal financing stage by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The Kibuye-Busega Expressway, which will take on the design of the Entebbe-Kampala Expressway with a dual carriageway, will give easy connection to both the Entebbe-Kampala Expressway and Busega-Mpigi at the Busega roundabout in Rubaga Division, where the roads connect to the Kampala Northern Bypass, giving easy connection to the Jinja-Mbale highway. 

According to Allan Ssempebwa, the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) spokesperson, the infrastructure is part of what the government is considering in order to ease traffic flow, facilitate trade and reduce working hours wasted in daily traffic blockages and finally steer economic growth.

He said the government was doing project appraisal with JICA along with other proposed projects including the New Karuma Bridge, (second bridge), which will replace the current Karuma Bridge, built-in 1963.

 Ssempebwa said the construction of the Kampala Flyover, which connects from the Queensway at Clock Tower to the Jinja Road streetlights junction was on course.

The project, also funded by the government of Japan through JICA is also meant to ease traffic flow in the city centre.

 He dismissed allegations that work on the project had been halted, saying workers were on-site apart from some Japanese experts who had returned home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the experts had started returning to the country after the government opened Entebbe Airport and allowed commercial flights.

"UNRA has been working closely with the outgoing Japanese ambassador to Uganda, Kazuaki Kameda in implementing most of the projects," he said.

Samson Bagonza, the engineer in chief of the ministry of works when contacted, said that the Kibuye-Busega Expressway would be an important short-cut route to motorists who he said were currently finding challenges connecting to the Entebbe-Kampala Expressway from the city centre due to heavy traffic flow and the available narrow roads.

According to Bagonza, the project, once implemented, will see a modern bridge built over the areas of Kibuye, Ndeeba, Nalukolongo, Nateete up to Busega.

He said the Expressway is estimated to cost $500m while the Kampala Flyover project, Lot 1 is expected to cost $66m.

The government of Japan, he explained, financed the construction of the Source of the Nile Bridge at $112m, while it will spend $2.34m for the construction of the Luwero Training Centre for operators of road unit equipment.

Meanwhile, the transport minister, Gen. Katumba Wamala and the UNRA executive director, Allen Kagina Thursday paid a courtesy call on the outgoing Japanese ambassador, Kazuaki Kameda at his offices in Kampala.