President Yoweri Museveni has warned individuals who are involved in vandalizing of signage as well as committing criminality along the newly completed Kampala – Entebbe expressway threatening to electrify the fence.
Museveni sounded the warning Friday while commissioning the 49.5 km long road which is Uganda’s first expressway ever. Given its nature as an expressway, the route has a higher speed limit of 100 to 120km/h.
As a result, government constructed a netted fence along the expressway to eliminate cases of persons and animals that might cross unnecessarily causing accidents.
However, during the landmark ceremony, to launch the project that took five and a half years to complete, the State Minister for Transport, Gen Katumba Wamala informed the President that the signages and the fence are already being stolen by among others boda boda cyclists.
Some of the green coloured reflectors which were installed on the lane dividers to shield drivers from light obstructions from approaching vehicles have also been plucked out.
This is what prompted the President to lash out.
“Those who are vandalizing such a project, including those who trespass, we might place barriers to stop them. If they are stealing the fence, we shall electrify it and see if those who trespass will survive,” President Museveni said.
In order to address the issue of criminals who commit murder and theft on the expressway, he said; “we shall install cameras and will be able to see the criminals and grab them”.
The expressway is prohibited for pedestrians and cyclists.
While speaking to the press after the commissioning ceremony, Minister Katumba said it was a shame that some Ugandans had chosen to vandalize a highly valued project like the Kampala – Entebbe expressway.
“It is a shame that we can start vandalizing the signage, the road furniture and the fence which we put to protect the road. We have put reflectors on dividers so that when you are diriving at night even if it is hazy, you can still easily see the road, but people sometimes boda boda people are plucking them off,” he said.