Govt gives contractor up to October to finish Nyendo-Masaka roadworks

Government has given the contractor for the Nyendo-Masaka Road project until October to complete the construction works.

According to the initial contract, Chongqing International Construction Corporation, the firm undertaking the Shs35b project, was supposed to complete works by June.

However, the Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra) media relations manager, Mr Allan Ssempebwa, said they extended the deadline because the contractor faced some delays in equipment mobilisation and Covid-19 restrictions.

“The contractor delayed commencement of construction works due to restrictions on movement caused by the lockdown,” Mr Ssempebwa said.

“They were not able to mobilise equipment to start operating on the due date and this is what we based on to grant them more time to complete the work and hand over the project,”  he added.

On reports that some casual workers were siphoning fuel which might derail the project, Mr Ssempebwa said Unra would engage the contractor to ensure safety of the equipment and fuel on the site.

“The issue of stealing fuel is serious, the contractor will need to engage police in protecting their equipment,” he said.

This comes weeks after three causal workers were arrested after stealing several litres of fuel.

Traders cry foul
Although traders in Masaka City welcomed the project, a section of them, especially those operating shops on the road, accused the contractor of failing to sprinkle water on the road surface  to  reduce dust.

“The dust has affected our businesses, I am forced to wash the clothes daily before giving them to my clients, We used to put some clothes on display to attract customers, but we cannot to do that due to dust,”Mr Fred Nsubuga , the proprietor of  Fred Fashions at Muto Complex, said.

Ms Aminah Nambalirwa, a shop attendant at Obama Classic Furniture, said: “We clean our furniture almost every hour because of dust. , sometimes customers reject our products complaining that they are old just because of dust.”
She said some traders are forced to close their shops during afternoon hours because they cannot stand the heavy dust from the construction works.  

“We ask the contractor to expeditiously do the work and save us from this dust,” Ms Nambalirwa said.
To avoid the dust, many motorists from Kampala now use the Masaka –Mbarara bypass through Alex Ssebowa –Katwe Road to connect to Masaka City Centre which is three kilometres longer. 

About nyendo-masaka road

The 13km Nyendo-Masaka road is expected to be upgraded to class 1B standard paved road, with an asphalt concrete surfacing on both the carriageway and shoulders on a mechanically modified sub-base and crushed stone base.

The road will have a 7.0m carriageway, 2.0m raised pedestrian walkway on both sides making an overall width of 15.0m.
In Nyendo Trading Centre, the road will have 3.0m parking lanes on both sides to cater for the parking needs of local traffic thus creating a smooth flow of through traffic.

It is implemented within the existing right of way and did not attract any compensations. Government plans to install solar lights and traffic signals on the road after its completion.  

The road was last tarmacked in the early 1990s and no major works have been made.