President Museveni has directed the Finance Ministry to urgently release the Shs6bn quarterly contribution to Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) for pothole filling, repairs, and maintenance of roads.
In his maiden Quarterly address to the country that focused on supporting the Tourism sector delivered at State House Entebbe on Wednesday, the President directed KCCA to give monthly updates on the clean-up, repair and maintenance of roads in the city.
KCCA, however, says they need Shs100 billion for a whole year to work on the city roads.
The directive comes after the “Kampala Pothole Exhibition” campaign which was launched on social media recently to force the city authorities to work on the dilapidated roads.
Through the exhibition people with smartphones took photos of the potholes in every part of Kampala and then uploaded them on the page of the exhibition.
In response, KCCA Executive Director, Dorothy Kisaka, addressed the press saying the authority is working to urgently address the matter.
She has asked all road users in the city to be patient as the authority upgrades and re-constructs dilapidated roads.
Meanwhile, the President also directed KCCA to follow the Parish model approach and have at least one Garbage truck for each of the 99 parishes, 10 garbage skips per parish and four (4) skip-loaders per division.
“I have been told only 30% of this money has been released this financial year causing roads outside the AFDB project to fall into bad disrepair with attendant problems of traffic jams. The 41 African Development Bank (AFDB) city roads project will continue for the next four years to improve the city transport,” H.E Museveni said, adding that all cities, starting with Kampala, should have ‘lost and found’ locations and accessible places of conveniences for tourists and this should be replicated in the districts of Kabarole, Gulu, Mbarara, Soroti, Arua, Masindi, Mubende, Kabale and other locations usually frequented by tourists.