The Government of Uganda embodied by the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), with the China Railway Seventh Group penned down an agreement for the latter to design and construct 97 kilometers of road in the country.
The 97 kilometers, which include Masindi-Biso, Kabaale-Kizirafumbi and Hohwa-Nyairongo-Kyarushesha-Butole roads, are a segment of the 700 kilometers crucial oil roads that are set to be tarmacked in preparation for the transportation of equipment’s and oil come the year 2021.
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Oil road project
Speaking at the UNRA head offices in Kampala while signing the contract, Ms. Allen Kagina, the authority executive director, said all the preparatory work for the construction, which include data required for the design of the roads, preparation of the feasibility reports, preparation of resettlement action plan and environmental social impact assessments, have been accomplished.
Construction works shall begin in May this year and is expected to be completed in the next 24 months’ time. The entire 700km work is expected to cost over US $135m. The contract agreement between UNRA and the contractor, according to Ms. Kagina, states that the contractor will pre-finance and execute construction works for a period of 12 months from the date that the task begins while the Ugandan government secures funds for paying or the works to be executed.
She added that the government has already secured more than the 30% right of way on the project affected areas, required to hand over the site to the contractor.
“Up to date we have confirmed 2,774 persons affected by the project and we have managed to pay 66.4% of them acquiring 50.4% right of way and this is good enough for the contractor to implement works,” said Ms. Kagina
