Unra orders Mbale Municipality to halt installation of street lights

The Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra) has ordered Mbale Municipal Council to halt the ongoing installation of street lights on Mbale-Kumi road.

Mr Francis Okello Defrano, the Unra road maintenance engineer for eastern region, told Daily Monitor on Tuesday that the municipal leadership should halt the process because they never consulted them for technical guidance.
“It is not too late for the municipal council to halt the process because they have only dug the holes. If they go on with the installation, the street lights will be destroyed when the rehabilitation of the road starts,” Mr Okello said.

He explained that plans to rehabilitate the road are already in the pipeline and a contractor has been secured.
“We have a new contractor who is going to work on the expansion of that road, so let them come and look at the new design of the road and we advise accordingly on how they can install the street lights,” he said.

Mbale-Kumi road is one of the busiest streets, especially during the morning and evening rush hours.

The leaders and residents have been demanding for the expansion of road, saying it has become narrow.

Mr Okello explained that government will widen the road so that it can handle the ever-increasing traffic. “The current status of the road cannot handle the increasing traffic flow that is why the government wants to do rehabilitation of this road. It will include strengthening the pavement layers and widening it in urban centres,” he said.

He explained that road will be upgraded to Asphalt concrete from double surface dressing by a Portuguese company, Mota Engil Construction Company, with funding from World Bank.

However, the mayor, Mr Mutwalib Zandya said they wrote written to Unra, notifying them of the ongoing works.
“We are going by our plan because we wrote a letter to them and they have been aware of everything going on,” he said.
The municipality public relations officer, Mr James Kutosi, said they will soon have a meeting with Unra officials to decide on the way forward.

INSTALLATION
Covered. The solar street lights have already been installed on the Republic, Pallisa, Nabuyonga Rise and Mugisu Hill roads, which were constructed under the World Bank-funded Uganda Support to Municipality Infrastructure Development programme at a cost of Shs10 billion.
Past repair. The road was last rehabilitated in 2015 at cost of Shs190 billion by Dott Services but residents have on several occasions complained about its poor state.