Museveni launches Muyembe-Nakapiripirit road construction

Nov 26, 2020

Work is expected to start in early 2021 and conclude in 2023

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Thursday launched the construction of the Muyembe-Nakapiripirit road.

This road that goes through east and northern Uganda will link Uganda to Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia. The road connects the towns of Muyembe in Bulambuli district, to the town of Nakapiripirit.

Plans are underway to upgrade this gravel road to class II bitumen surface, with drainage channels and culverts. In December 2014, this road was listed as ‘at project preparation'.

In March 2015, Parliament authorised the borrowing of $110 m, representing 86% of the cost, from the Islamic Development Bank (IDB). The government will fund the remaining 14%, amounting to about $18m.

In December 2015, Uganda National Roads Authority advertised for construction companies to tender bids for the construction works, comprising 92 kilometres (57 mi) of main roads and an additional 25 kilometres (16 mi) of side roads and connectors, totalling 117 kilometres (73 mi).

Following the evaluation of those bids, a preferred contractor will be selected and a construction contract will be executed between the parties concerned.

The construction contract was awarded to a Turkish construction company, Polat Yol Yapi Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S.

On November 7, 2019, the construction contract was signed between UNRA, represented by Allen Kagina, the agency's executive director and Emre Polat, representing the contractor. Work is expected to start in early 2021 and conclude in 2023.

"Earlier I officiated at the groundbreaking ceremony for the upgrade of the 92 km Muyembe-Nakapiripirit road. Our people should also involve themselves in calculative commercialized businesses to increase our exports and utilise such roads.

For a road like this to make meaning, we must emphasize the issue of regional integration with the purpose of engaging in lucrative trade, and easy movement of goods and services to the country," Museveni said in a tweet.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});