National Roads Authority (UNRA)
 UNRA: Kagina wants roadside markets removed The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) is calling for removal of markets along major roads, as a way of curbing the escalating road carnage and traffic jam.The UNRA Executive Director Mrs Alen Kagina yesterday essayed to convince Members of Parliament and stakeholders to look into the possibility of relocating these markets to somewhere else away from road.Some of the markets UNRA is seeking riddance of include the ones in Kalerwe, Busega and Kireka in Kampala and Abayita-Ababiri along Entebbe road in Wakiso district. Kagina said with concern that every time they finish constructing a road, people quickly put up a market, which is very dangerous and one of the major reasons why there is a lot of traffic jam in Kampala and Wakiso district.The UNRA boss was speaking at a consultative conference with Members of Parliament at the Kampala Serena Hotel.“We want to first sensitize people, more so the vendors that conduct businesses in all the markets near the roads in Kampala and Wakiso; telling them the dangers of working near the roads. After that, the eviction will take place’ ’Kagina said. Read more ▪ How UNRA Misappropriated UGX 4 Trillion - Probe Report After a six-month probe on UNRA activities by Lady Justice Bamugemereire, President Yoweri Museveni has today been handed a 1300 page report. In the report, it was discovered that at least UGX 4 Trillion was misappropriated by the old UNRA structure. Whereas UGX 9 Trillion was used to construct 1500km of roads in 7 years; these funds were enough to cover 5147km. In the recommendation by the commion of inquiry, over 90 people (former staff of UNRA) should be prosecuted and assets recovered. Consequently, the President has ordered the IGG, CIID and AG to bring the culprits to book as soon as possible.According to the Uganda Road Sector organization; "Uganda has a comprehensive road network, comprising of National roads (20,000kms), District roads (13,000kms), urban roads (2,800kms) and Community roads (about 30,000kms)." Read more ▪ Shell-UNRA Shs3b fuel case goes for mediation The case in which fuel firm, Vivo Energy Uganda (distributors of Shell products in Uganda), is claiming more than Shs3.5 billion against Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) is under mediation before court.Vivo sued UNRA seeking to recover Shs3.5 billion alleging that it was meant for fuel and fuel products consumed.The case is before the Registrar in charge of mediation at the Commercial Court. Vivo Energy alleges that the said fuel and fuel products were invoiced and remain unpaid to-date. According to court documents by Shell Uganda, the fuel firm and UNRA entered an agreement and the roads agency consumed the former’s fuel and fuel products at various locations in Uganda. Shell Uganda says under the agreement, the consumed products were to be invoiced monthly and paid after the issue of invoice.Read more ▪ UNRA conducts environmental compliance assessment Still smarting from the decision of the World Bank to cancel funding to the Uganda Transport Sector Development Project, the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) is conducting environmental and social safeguards compliance assessments on all the on-going road projects including those under construction, rehabilitation and defects liability period.“In order to attain high standards and excellence in the planning and implementation of road projects, UNRA seeks to ensure that all projects are preceded by environmental and social assessments (ESIA), with environmental and social management plans prepared, and effectively implemented,” the authority said in a notice to contractors, consultants and other stakeholders.The roads authority has also indicated that it is set to revise the safeguards procedures, as well as the Environmental and Social Management Systems to march international standards. Read more ▪  UNRA: Kampala-Jinja Expressway to affect telecoms, industries and developers The resettlement impact of the construction of US$1.1b (sh3.6trillion) Kampala-Jinja Expressway is expected to be massive, according to officials from the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA). Pedestrians, slow moving vehicles and those with powered wheel chairs will not be allowed to use this high speed expressway once it is completed.The officials said a developer will be contracted."We have been doing limited road projects with low resettlement. Compensation will be fast tracked, we don't want to delay this project, it will be business unusual," Pamela Ayebare, land acquisition specialist UNRA said.This was during a meeting with all key stakeholders to discuss the upcoming four lane expressway project. The meeting was held at Kyambogo UNRA offices, Kampala. Over sh300b is required for compensation for the project."Properties affected have been evaluated, assessment forms have been signed, and local leaders have been sensitized. If you add on anything it is at your costs. We have a clear view of properties affected, a development order is in place," Ayebare stressed. Read more ▪ UNRA: Sh30b set for compensation on second phase of Northern Bypass About 400 property owners are expected to be affected by the construction of the second phase of the Kampala Northern Bypass, the Uganda National Road Authority (UNRA) has said. Close to sh30b will be spent on compensation in areas around the roundabouts along this road that are to be upgraded to flyovers with interchanges, additions to the design that will require more land. UNRA spokesperson Dan Alinange said the land to be acquired is expensive since it has commercial structures.“We are finalising arrangements to compensate the people affected by this road project to enable the contractor commence the works on time,” said Alinange. He said they have contracted Mottengel Construction Company from Portugal to construct the second phase of the road at Euros60m (sh260b).According to Alinange, the works on the road, are expected to commence. The first phase of the road consisted of a 21km stretch, comprising 17.5km of single carriageway and 3.5km of dual carriageway between Hoima Road and Gayaza Road. Read more ▪  Since opting for the private sector-led growth strategy to spearhead the attainment of Uganda’s growth and development aspirations, the government has, beyond its traditional policy and regulatory role, invested sufficient resources in creating a conducive environment that attracts investments, both local and foreign. Privatisation and liberalisation are some of the policies Uganda adopted through the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) led Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) in the early 1980s but whose real implementation kicked-off in the mid1980s early 1990s.With a fair share of criticism and successes, these policies have been central to the realisation of a 6.5% average real economic growth Uganda has enjoyed over the past decade or so, and will be further critical to transforming Uganda from a peasantry to a modern and prosperous country as enshrined in the Uganda Vision 2040, the country’s strong growth and development blue –print, but requiring raising annual economic growth rate to 8.2%. Read more ▪ UNRA: Uganda to enforce axle load control The Uganda National Police has created a special road traffic unit that will be working with the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) to ensure that trucks traversing Ugandan roads adhere to the axle load rules.While addressing journalists at East African Community (EAC) non-tariffs barriers communication strategy meeting on Tuesday, Dr Steven Kasiima, the director traffic and road safety at Uganda National Police said, overloaded trucks are the major causes of accidents on highways because they breakdown around black spots.He added that the abnormal loads especially cement, also damage the roads, weigh bridges and bridges yet it is hard to tow them away because of the load. Read more ▪ Gov’t to lose sh130m per day in road deal The Government will lose over Sh130m per day to the contractor if the construction of Hoima-Kaiso-Tonya road is stopped, Court has heard.The road project manager, Khalil Odongo, in his affidavit in support of an application by Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) seeking to overturn a recent interim order that stopped the constructions works said, government will have to pay over sh130 to the constructor if the order is maintained.UNRA’s lawyers Alex Kibandama and William Tumwine pleaded with the deputy High Court registrar (Land Division), Michael Otto Gulamali, to set aside an earlier order he issued halting construction works saying completion of tarmacking of the 92kms road on time is key for the planned Oil and Gas production. The government plans to start producing Oil and Gas in 2017.The government commissioned the tarmacking of the road two years ago to link the country to the vast oil reserves in the Albertine Graben and Kabaale – a proposed site for the 60,000 barrels per day oil refinery in Hoima district. Read more ▪ The Government has released sh113.1b for the maintenance of roads in the second quarter (Q2) of the current 2013/ 14 financial year. A press statement from the Uganda Road Fund (URF) shows that sh84.7b was disbursed to the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), sh3.1b to Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and 111 districts (sh10.1b). Additionally, sh3.4b was disbursed to the 22 municipalities in the country, sh4.79b to 174 town councils and sh6.96b to 1, 105 sub-counties.URF has also released sh28.4b to designated agencies for the maintenance of District, Urban and Community Access Roads (DUCAR) in Q2 of this 2013/ 14 FY. Read more |