Parliament has approved Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA)’s Shs10bn supplementary budget for rehabilitation of roads across the city less than two months to the closure of the 2019/20 Financial Year.
The Budget Committee was informed that KCCA was in the FY2019/20 given an indicative figure of Shs.30.5bn for road maintenance but only received Shs.22.3bn to carry routine road maintenance in the City and the shortfall together with the heavy rain have resulted into severe damage to the City road network which needs urgent intervention to keep it motorable.
The Committee further learnt that KCCA engaged Ministry of Finance and were assured of funding through a supplementary expenditure. Basing on this assurance, the Authority committed and undertook road maintenance works on the following roads; Upper Kololo Terrence, Queensway, pothole patching on affected roads like Wilson Road, Sikh Road, Channel Street, Johnson Road, Lubiri Ring Road, Sir Apolo Kagwa, Naguru, Katalina, Kisaasi Road, Bukoto Ntinda, Ntinda Kiwatule, street lighting, draining maintenance and road marking.
The Authority told Parliament of plans to also undertake the much needed maintenance works on Mutungo Tank Road, Cecilia Road, Naguru Close, Ggaba Bypass Road and also continue with road maintenance activities in all Divisions.
“The Committee recommends approval of Shs10bn to address payments for the road maintenance works under KCCA be approved,” theBudget Committee report noted.
In a related development, the Budget Committee has positively responded to the request by the Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI) seeking Shs10Bn to operationalize the machining, manufacturing and industrial skills training centre at Namanve.
The committee was informed that in 2014, UIRI secured a grant of USD30million from the Government of China for the establishment of a Machining, Manufacturing and Industrial Skills Training Center (MMISTC), at Kampala Industrial Business Park, Namanve.
As part of the grant 17 building structures at the campus have been constructed, machines and equipment installed and the Chinese contractors handed over the center to Government of Uganda in December 2019 well before the contract period of two years elapsed.
Consequently, the plant was commissioned by President Museveni in January 2020 without funding to operationalize the project. The Project is expected to; Enhance industrial skills by providing platforms for hands-on training and apprenticeship, engage in modern methods of machining and manufacturing of metallic parts, accessories, and implements, as it progresses towards manufacturing of machines, Create capacity for development of indigenous technologies and reduce technology import bill; and manufacture products and provide allied services for the market so that revenues generated can be used to sustain the project and contribute to government coffers.
When the Budget Committee visited the Centre on Friday 15th May 2020, the MPs claim that all the 7 buildings were completed and machines and equipment installed and that the Centre however, required the support in order to become operational.
The Committee was further informed that UIRI had started procurement processes for acquisition of required goods and services this FY and therefore, affirmed that the institution will be able to absorb all the funds within the month to end of the FY2O19/20, since all priority activities are ready for implementation.
“The Committee recommends that Shs10 billion be provided to UIRI to operationalize the machining, manufacturing and industrial skills training Centre at Namanve,” read in part the Committee report.
