URF plans for the future

Over the last one year, what has changed during your leadership?

I effectively took over leadership of the Fund in July 2019, about six months prior to the expiry of the final term of my predecessor, Eng. Dr Michael Odongo; who successfully served for 10 years.

Therefore, I have been in the role practically for the last 18 months.

During my tenure to date at the helm, I have mainly targeted quick-win high impact and tangible innovations, such as:

- Rolling out regional technical support units to improve the capacity of all implementing agencies

- URF has funded critical and essential road safety interventions.

- There has been training and supporting of district and municipal engineers to attain registration.

- We have seen the completion of all outstanding URF governance documents and manuals.

- Conceptualisation and implementation of congestion bursting road schemes, such as tarmacking the new Wampewo Avenue to Yusuf Lule Road through Centenary Park.

- Tarmacking of Lubowa Lower Estate Road to improve access to the NSSF housing project and the new international hospital.

- Pioneering and supporting the use of low cost Do-Nou technology.

- Conceptualisation and implementation of tarmacking of key roads in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan areas of Mukono, Makindye Ssabagabo, Nansaana, Entebbe and Kira municipalities.

- Tarmacking of town council roads in 26 town councils;

- Timely finalisation of the construction of the 12-storey URF / PPDA headquarters at Plot 39,  Nakasero road.

- Prioritisation of maintenance of access roads to security and military installations.

- Prioritisation of maintenance of security roads in Karamoja and south western regions.

- Improvement of access roads to industrial parks.

- Reduced the downstream turn-around time of releases to implementing agencies.

What are your future plans for URF and road maintenance financing

- Plan to handle the following key issues in the short to medium term:

- Deliver the URF five-year strategic and corporate plans, which I prepared and systematically aligned to NDP III.

- Provide funding to open up the Karamoja region by strategically linking it both internally and externally.

- Commercialise Force Account.

- Planning to undertake critical new congestion bursting road schemes, such as Bugolobi to Bukasa link road.

- Advocate more road maintenance funding by rebalancing allocations towards road maintenance when compared with new road construction.

- Establish additional operational systems at the Fund targeted at improving efficiency and effectiveness.

- Improve service delivery by implementing agencies.

- Enhancing e-monitoring, e-auditing and e-governance.

- Improve efficiency in timely releases and agency accountability downstream.

- Improve stakeholder engagement.

- Prioritise maintenance financing in the new cities.

- Increase funding in the designated agencies in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Areas.

- Target funding towards improvement of tourism roads.

-Mitigate attrition in the road maintenance supply chain.

- Improve data collection in a real time manner.

- Enhance road safety measures on the core road network.

- Categorise regional designated agencies to ensure systematic timesharing of equipment.

- Prioritise maintenance financing of Uganda's strategic road network, ensuring optimal value for money.