BULIISA – Minister of State for Urban Development, Mario Kania Obiga has demanded for the immediate rectification of some faults found on a road constructed under the Albertine Region Sustainable Development Program (ARSDP) in Buliisa town council, Buliisa district.
Minister Kania Obiga, who was in Buliisa district inspecting the government projects implemented in the Albertine region funded under the Albertine Region Sustainable Development Program (ARSDP) discovered some issues on the road being constructed by China Communication Construction Company (CCCC).
According to the Minister, the drainage channels were poorly planned and as a result these channels are pouring water into people’s homes.
The roads that measuring 7.3 Kilometer of tarmac include; Ngongo, Commercial, Muhoojo, Kyamurwa, Baker, lift valley, Speke, Waguria Mutiiti and Karoro.
According to the officials, construction of these tarmac roads and the installation of street lights cost the government Shs.26 billions.
Under this program of ARSDP, the government constructed 31.3 gravel roads in Buliisa district, worth Shs.5 billion to help farmers and the general population to access markets for their produce and other social services.
During the inspection of the road, some of the residents told the officials that their houses were on the verge of collapsing because of the water that submerges their houses when it rains.
Prosper Amanya and Godfrey Nyendwoha, some of the affected residents from Civic cell in Buliisa town council claimed that the contractor directed the water channels to their homes and they have complained several times of help in vain.
Amanya said, recently they petitioned the office of the District Planner, the Community Development Officer to address the issue but when they visited the area, they never helped them.
Nyendwoha also complained that as the contract worked on the channels, he left some homes without access roads adding that they just have to jump to reach their house and called for intervention.
While reacting to the issue, Minister Kania called on the residents to remain calm and ordered that this issue be corrected with immediate effect.
“The issues of the drainage that I think was a major omission at the design stage, must be corrected immediately but because the contractor went with what was designed. I can’t say that it is shoddy work, despite having seen it, but that is a defect which needs to be addressed,” he explained.
However, he challenged the leaders to mobilize the locals to utilize the project and also to own and protect the facility for its sustainability.
He noted that the government has invested a lot of money in the ARSDP for the improvement of service delivery and development of the local people adding that the task now is with the local leaders to sensitize the citizens to get prepared for the opportunities created by the programs.
Engineer Joseph Ochaya, an official from the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development said, the Ministry is in the final stages of procuring a supervising consultant to conduct a study which will provide a proper drainage master plan.
He further explained that the firm will conduct Hydrological study and the study will provide the final decision to the Ministry on how to evacuate water from the area.
“The consultant will come with a team of experts such as high way designing Engineers and Hydrologists, so the firm will conduct Hydrological study and that study will inform how to evacuate water from the Albertin, but as you can see the challenge is not only with us, you have even seen Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) roads where they are also struggling with water along the channels, so the issue of water here need a proper master plan,” he explained.
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