New Mukono-Njeru road to spur growth

The reconstruction of the Mukono-Kayunga-Njeru road is beginning to spur development in the three districts of Kayunga, Buikwe and Mukono.
According to local leaders and residents, the 94km tarmac road, whose rehabilitation commenced in 2015 and ended in 2017 by SBI international Holdings (U) Ltd, has registered an increased number of road users, who have created market for goods and services.
The road, which was last upgraded in the 1960s, had over the years fallen into a state of disrepair, which prompted motorists to dodge it.
Previously, motorists would spend two-and-a half hours travelling from Kampala to Kayunga, a distance of 65km. They now spend one hour.

Traffic jam
Kayunga District chairperson Tom Sserwanga said with the completion of the road, heavy trucks, taxis and buses such as those heading for Kenya prefer the road to avoid traffic jam between Nakawa and Mukono on the Jinja–Kampala highway .
“The increase in traffic on this road has created market for goods such as foodstuffs, hotels and lodging services. This would progressively increase income of our people,” Mr Sserwanga said.
“With the good road, the price of land around Nakifuma, Kalagi, Kabembe and Kabimbiri has also drastically increased as prospective buyers now look at these areas as being very near Kampala, one takes less time to travel from Kampala to these areas which wasn’t the case before,” Mr Andrew Ssenyonga, the Mukono District chairperson, said.
Ntenjeru North Member of Parliament Amos Lugoloobi said residents need to take advantage of the increased demand for foodstuffs to engage in commercial farming.
“Because of the ready market that has been created by the new road, residents should now grow high value crops such as fruits and vegetables and increase their household incomes,” Mr Lugoloobi said.
He added that there is also hope of tarmacking the Kayunga- Nakasongola road before the end of this year.
Government has already contracted Omega Construction Company Ltd at Shs12b to work on the road which will pass through Ssezibwa Swamp.
Mr Asadi Naliku, a taxi driver, who plies the Kayunga-Kampala road, said he does not only take less time on a journey, but also uses less fuel.
“Because of the good state of the road, my commuter taxi now doesn’t break down as it was the case in the past and because of this, I don’t incur high costs in repairing it,” Mr Naliku said.
Mr Sserwanga, however, said there has been increased accidents as some motorists drive recklessly.
“The traffic police should punish reckless drivers to avert accidents as the road has now become a death trap,” Mr Sserwanga said.

Kayunga District

Kayunga District is known for growing pineapples, coffee and bananas and maize.
The distict has already had its major streets in Kayunga Town tarmacked. The area also has a ferry in Busaana Sub-county, which connects Kayunga to Kamuli District, across River Nile.
For the past two years, the district has experienced an influx of new settlers as a result of constructing the Isimba hydro-power dam on River Nile.