General Katumba explained that the project has been delayed due to problems with getting land and compensating affected people. In Parliament, Speaker Anita Among asked General Katumba to start work on the Kampala-Jinja Expressway quickly.
She said, “We approved the loan in 2020, but nothing has happened since then. The problem seems to be with the people affected by the project.” General Katumba said the project stalled because it’s not easy.
It involves a partnership with private companies and many steps before it can start. “We need to pay more than 90% of the affected people. We also have to help those who can’t take the money, like the elderly.
This all takes time,” he explained. General Katumba mentioned that the Attorney General has got the last agreement needed to find a contractor. “Now we can look for a contractor because most of the problems are solved. We couldn’t do this before,” he said.
He also said that the government has bought all the equipment needed to maintain roads in the country. But there’s a problem with paying the full amount for the equipment. “We still owe Shs6 billion.
The supplier won’t give us all the equipment until we pay,” he added. MP Dan Atwijukire raised concerns about the government not providing districts with road maintenance equipment as promised. “The government promised Shs6 billion for equipment, but we haven’t received it. If they can’t pay, they should tell the public on local radios,” he said. Speaker Anita Among asked General Katumba to give a detailed report on road works in two weeks.
