President Museveni commissions Bumbobi-Lwakhakha Road

INFRASTRUCTURE

MANAFWA - President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni commissioned the 44.5km Bumbobi-Lwakhakha Road on Tuesday, telling the people of Manafwa district that the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government has always kept its promises to the people of Uganda.

The President made the remarks at Manafwa district headquarters shortly after commissioning the road in Manafwa Town Council.

The Bumbobi-Lwakhakha Road stretches through the districts of Mbale, Manafwa and Namisindwa, starting at Bumbobi just outside Mbale City on the Tororo-Mbale highway, proceeding through Bubulo-Busumbu up to Lwakhakha on the Uganda-Kenya border, providing an international route to Kenya.

President Museveni said that the NRM government has come through on its promise to develop the area with huge developments, including good roads, electricity and water.

"We have been saying that we shall change this area even when we did not have enough money. We have now delivered our promise like we have done before. If Government does not collect taxes, you will not get such good roads. We are using our tax money to build these nice roads and many more are going to be constructed across the country," he said.

Museveni, who is the NRM presidential flagbearer for the 2021 polls, said that the problem now, with the people of Manafwa in particular and Uganda in general, are the people who are still stuck with working for the stomach only (subsistence farmers) and not for income (commercial farmers). 

He urged them to engage in the four money sectors: commercial agro-production, industries, services and ICT.

"The medicine for this problem is what NRM has been telling you all these years.  The NRM tells you to work for the stomach (food security) and the pocket (incomes) but doing it with a calculation," he said.

Museveni rallied Ugandans to elect the NRM so that they continue to develop Uganda.

The Minister of State for Works and Transport, Peter Lokeris, said he was happy to witness the occasion where the NRM government is fulfilling the pledges made while also advancing the NRM's strategy for poverty eradication, social-economic transformation and regional integration.

"Your Excellency, we wish to thank you and the NRM government for the strategies laid out to achieve social-economic transformation in this region and the country at large by integrating this region to the rest of the country through infrastructural development," he said.

Lokeris revealed that in Bugisu region, there are several ongoing projects, including the rehabilitation of Namunsi-Sironko Road (40km), Mbale-Tororo-Mbale-Soroti-Kamdin Roads(341km) and Nakalama-Tirinyi-Mbale road (100km).

The following roads are also earmarked for upgrading in this region: Bubulo-Bududa circular road (28km), Nabumali-Butaleja Road (72km), Namagumba-Budadiri-Nalugugu Road (45km) and Mbale-Nkokonjeru road (21km).

The acting executive director of Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), Eng. Muhoozi Samuel, said that the completed project is a measure of success through which UNRA is providing their customers with demonstrable evidence of a great road user experience.

"Our focus as UNRA in line with the government policy was placed on gaining a deeper understanding of these needs of our clients and stakeholders who have enabled us to be more pro-active and responsive in serving and meeting their expectations" said Muhoozi.

He commended President Museveni, the Government and development partners, particularly the African Development Bank, for extending support to the road programmes.

In a joint statement by the regional Moslem clerics who presided over the function, they asked God to forgive the people for wronging the President who has maintained peace since 1986 and has also caused so much development, including the brand new Bumbobi-Lwakhakha road commissioned Tuesday.

The road is part of the National Roads Network and was undertaken by M/S China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd and will promote regional integration and cross-border trade with Uganda's eastern neighbour Kenya.

Traversing through 12 trading centres, the districts and towns along the road project are known for subsistence agriculture, which involves growing of maize, bananas, cassava and rice cultivation, all hinged for commercial purpose for local and foreign bigger market across the border.

The Bumboobi-Lwakhakha Road will improve access to the socio-economic facilities and the quality of transport service levels in the eastern part of Uganda, thereby contributing to improved standard of living of the beneficiaries.

It will also promote regional integration and assist in the administrative and social coverage in the region as well as reduce vehicle operating costs. It will also greatly support the growth of the tourism industry in eastern Uganda.