Gulu city gets 41 billion shillings for road works

Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The government has allocated 41 billion shillings to Gulu city for road construction under the Uganda Support for Municipal Infrastructural Development- USMID project.

Edward Kiwanuka, the Gulu city town clerk says that the fund will construct more than 7 roads in the city totaling 7.788 kilometres. The roads include Oola Lubaro road, Vincent Opiyo road, Francis Barabanawe road, Lakana Odongkara road, Onono road and Nelson Mandela road.

He revealed that 6 construction companies have bide and the contract committee is scrutinizing and reviewing their capacities and performances before they award the contract. The bidders include Multiplate Construction Company, Starling, CHICO, Zong Mai, China Railway Group 18 and Sea tape Construction Company.

Kiwanuka further revealed that the construction work is expected to begin early next month adding that the roads will improve security, offer business opportunities to the locals to enhance livelihoods.

He noted that the support for Gulu is higher compared to other cities and municipalities based on the high poverty index in the area and its high population.

However in an earlier interview, Hajati Syda Bbumba, the Nakaseke North MP and the chairperson Parliamentary Committee on Finance commended Gulu for embracing the USMID project.

Bbumba revealed the success in the implementation of USMID project in Gulu enabled the government to approve a second phase of USMID project from the World Bank.

In 2017, Gulu was allocated 43 Billion Shillings for the construction of 13 roads under the first phase of USMID project which was completed and President Museveni commissioned them in 2019.

At least 62 roads in Gulu city have been constructed and upgraded in the last five years under different projects that include Japan International Corporation Agency- JICA, Uganda Road Fund, Uganda National Road Authority-UNRA, and USMID World Bank funded Project.

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