SYLVIA K
The leaders of Fort Portal city have asked the World Bank for more time, specifically three more months, to finish building three connected roads – Mill Lane, Mugoma, and Kahungabunyonyi.
These roads are part of the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development Program, which is funded by the World Bank with 20 billion shillings. The city officials discussed this with a team from USIMID Kampala, who came to check on the progress of the construction that started on June 6, 2022, and is supposed to finish by December 6, 2023.
The deputy mayor of Fort Portal city, Betty Mujungu, explained to the technical committee that the city doesn’t have enough resources to complete the work on time,if they disagree to the request of extending the project time frame.
She was quick to explain the struggle that they have gone through as authorities, because there was a time when there was no work taking place.
Relatedly the city engineer, Hebert Kaihura, mentioned that despite the program’s deadline approaching in December, the completion status is only at 75%.
Paddy Joseph Walter, the commissioner from the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, praised the efforts to improve Fort Portal through this project.
However, he acknowledged that there’s still 25% of the work pending. Walter mentioned that the technical committee of the program would meet in Kabale to discuss whether Fort Portal should be given additional time to finish the project.
He noted that the World Bank typically does not support project extensions.
