Refugee host districts to benefit from Shs1.4 trillion roads project

Lira. Eight refugee host districts are set to benefit from the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID), a programme funded by the World Bank, an official has revealed.
USMID public relations officer Sheila Naturinda last week said government has considered Adjumani, Moyo, Yumbe, Arua, Isingiro, Kamwenge, Lamwo and Kiryandongo districts for the project because the influx of refugees in these areas has created an infrastructure challenge.

Latest additions
Ms Naturinda said eight new municipalities of Lugazi, Apac, Ntungamo, Busia, Kasese, Mubende, Kamuli and Kitgum have also been added onto the list of USMID beneficiaries.
On October 23, World Bank’s senior urban specialist Martin Onyach Olaa said the World Bank has availed $360m (about Shs1.4 trillion) for the new financial year.
“We are availing to all the municipalities $360m but each municipality will get money every year based on how they have performed. That will base on meeting the programme requirements such as timely implementation and the quality of infrastructure,” he said.

“That is why it is very important for the municipality to develop a systematic way of addressing arising issues so as to allow them to deliver programmes on a timely basis because if you delay, it will have implication on how much money you are going to get the next financial year,” he added.
The first phase of the six-year USMID programme kicked off in 2013 at a cost of $160 million. The first beneficiary municipalities were Arua, Gulu, Lira, Soroti, Moroto, Mbale, Tororo, Jinja, Entebbe, Masaka, Mbarara, Kabale, Fort Portal and Hoima.
Lira Municipality mayor Mike Ogwang Veve said upgrading infrastructure in the municipalities and districts will widen revenue base.