Tarmacking of critical oil road hangs in balance after withdrawal of funds

KIKUUBE– Residents and drivers using the Kabwoya-Kyangwali road in Kikuube will have to endure the poor state of the road for a while due to the lack of funds to tarmac it as promised by government in its bid to modernise roads in the region where oil is to be drilled.

The road which connects Kabwoya and Kyangwali sub-counties in Kukuube district is one of the critical oil roads which the government promised to upgrade from marram to tarmac to ease transportation.

The 50 kilometre road connects to Buhuka- Kingfisher tarmacked road which leads to the Kingfisher oil field in Buhuka parish along the shores of Lake Albert.

The Buhuka- Kingfisher road was constructed by China National Offshore Oil Company [CNOOC] to unlock the accessibility of the area.

However, according to the State Minister for Works and Transport, Fred Byamukama, the tarmacking of Kabwoya-Kutuuti road was supposed to kick off early this year but the funder- United Kingdom Export Finance [UKEF] withdrew from the project.

He explained that most of the road project-affected persons had been compensated before UKEF  took away their money.

Without revealing the details of the contractor, Byamukama explained that UKEF withdrew its funding after the staff of the contractor were accused of defilement among other sexual abuses.

However, the minister urged residents and other road users to remain calm, stressing that the government is looking for funds to tarmac the road.

Denis Kirya, one of the drivers plying Kyangwali-Hoima city route said the construction of the road is long overdue.

Kirya explained that the road is always impassable during rainy and dry seasons, adding vehicles always get stuck on it, sometimes resulting in accidents that have claimed innocent lives.

John Kasima, a resident of Rwensabya village in Kyangwali Sub-county said that they are disappointed by the government’s failure to work on the road.

He expressed concern that the government has for many years promised to tarmac the road.

“When it is dry season the road is always dusty and when it is a rainy season, the road becomes slippery, which makes the movement of people and their goods difficult,” he said.

He noted that the poor road network in the area is presenting the challenge of accessing social amenities such as markets for their agricultural produce such as maize, beans, and Bananas.

https://thecooperator.news/kikuube-district-leaders-ask-govt-to-take-over-bad-road/

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