FORT PORTAL -Fort Portal City could miss out on the third phase of the World Bank-funded Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development Project [ USMID ] funding due to the slow process of constructing roads.
While inspecting the progress of USMID projects in Fort Portal city, the minister of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba established that city is behind schedule and warned leaders to fast-track the construction of the roads allocated funds in the USMID second phase.
“Fort Portal is behind schedule on the completion rate of this project and if you don’t improve, you will miss out on the third phase,” Nabakooba cautioned.
The minister was concerned that despite the December 2023 deadline for roads under the USMID second phase to be done, the city has just started mobilising for the equipment, the environmental impact assessment is just being done and communities are being sensitised. These she said, are not the actual works that should have started.
“I have learned that the delay is being caused by poor communication and lack of coordination between the technical and political leadership which is a very big challenge. I am now giving you an ultimatum of three weeks to put your house to order and enable the project to begin,” she said.
Nabakooba said the project has a deadline and once it is not met, they cancel the funding.
According to the Fort Portal city clerk, Moses Otimong, the city council has already signed a contract with China Railway 18 to embark on a Shs 20.4 billion road construction project.
Otimong said they have already paid 20 percent of the total sum, which is about Shs 4bln to the Chinese company as a construction obligation to act as an assurance between the two parties.
He admitted that the project has delayed due to unavoidable challenges but hopes that once the construction commences, they will be able to meet the deadline by ensuring that it is completed by December next year.
“The company [China Railway 18] will also partner with Global 21st Century limited as their sub-contractors during the projected works which will commence soon,” he noted.
He said the whole project covers three roads, including installing them with street lights.
The roads to be worked on are 0.72 Kilometers Millane, 0.9 Kilometers Kabundaire- water supply, and 0.66 Kilometers Mugoma-Kahungabunyonyi, all found in the central division of the city.
However the Fort Portal City mayor, Edison Asaba Ruyonga said the delay of the project was caused by the failure to get the contractor in time because there was pulling of ropes.
He said this caused taking back the balance that is meant for this project though they hope to be brought back.
“When the contract was awarded, 20 percent of the money was given to the contractor and when the financial year ended, the balance was taken back to the treasury,” he said.
The minister inspected progress of USMID projects in Kasese Municipality before coming to Fort Portal and ended her trip from Mubende.
The objective of USMID is to enhance the institutional performance of programme of urban local Governments –cities and municipalities-to improve urban service delivery.
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