First Consult Stake Holders And Get Correct Information Before Exposing Your Narrow-Mindedness In The Media- Minister Kyofatogabye Blasts Lukwago Over Alleged Inflated Costs For Repairing Kampala Roads
By Uganda Online Media
Kampala Minister, Kabuye Kyofatogabye has castigated troubled Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago over the alleged inflated costs for the upcoming repairing of roads in Kampala.
According to Kyofatogabye Lukwago is not being informed nor did he make consultations with the concerned stakeholders about the developments in the city when he said the costs for the repairs have been inflated.
Lukwago’s comments came after KCCA revealed that it had got $ 288 million ( approximately shs1trillion) for repairing over 31 roads in the five divisions of Kampala noting that mafia and a cartel in the central government who connive with KCCA have inflated the cost of repairing the roads to ensure each kilometre cost shs14.4 billion.
“For the 31 African Development Bank funded roads lined up for construction this year, they constitute 69km at a cost of shs1 trillion which translates to each kilometre being constructed at a whooping shs14.4billion. This is ridiculous a cost for the construction of these roads. It is outrageous. These costs are obscenely inflated. Imagine if a kilometre is to cost shs14.4 billion and you have 2110km of roads in the entire Kampala, how are we going to construct all of them? It means during our lifetime, we shall never finish constructing the roads in Kampala,” Lukwago said while addressing journalists on Wednesday.
“We are not constructing in mountainous areas like Kisoro that we have to navigate around those terrains. What explains this inflated cost,” Lukwago said adding that 69km of roads in a flat terrain can cost shs1 trillion.
In a bitter response, however, Kyofatogabye rubbished Lukwago’s allegations as untrue, noting that Lukwago is not informed about the developments in the city he leads thus inviting him to always make consultations.
“In his characteristic ill-informed but sensational manner, the Lord Mayor told lies and I am here to debunk his falsehoods and restore hope to our city and country away from his pessimistic naysaying and if he pleases, to invite him to always do more consultation on issues before making a farce of himself before all and sundry,” Kyofatogabye said in a statement.
“Then project management will take $14.95 million to include supervision of civil works including consultants, monitoring and evaluation by the technical team, project implementation team at KCCA, the audit, solid waste management and development of urban designed guidelines. . Institutional support will take $3.6 million. Women and youth skill development will take $ 0.2 million. The other lots like the planting of 10,000 trees and additional roads were added to the project. $11 million has been earmarked for compensation and resettlement of the project-affected persons. This total cost is $ 288 million and out of this, about $ 48 million is meant for other components of the project but only about $240 million will go into the actual construction of roads including drainages.” Kyofatogabye added.
According to the minister, not all of the $ 288 million (Shs1 trillion) will go towards road construction but rather only $ 246.2 million and the rest will go towards other items related to the roads including navigating through five kilometres of “stormy” drainage works, signalization of 11 junctions, installation of over 1500 street lights and 30 public toilets among others.
“All these things are before the Lord Mayor but with his narrow-mindedness and understanding of projects and components, you can’t ramp up everything and say a kilometre is going to take shs14.4 billion by dividing the entire project cost and failing to itemize. If the Lord Mayor wanted to misguide the people of Kampala, he should have done so with facts that thinking you will confuse everyone.” he further noted.
