Local firm wins contract to tarmac Matugga - Kapeeka road

Abubaker Technical Services, a local construction firm, has won the contract to rehabilitate the 41km Matugga-Kapeeka road. The Shs217 billion roadworks are expected to start in August and will take 24 months.

During the signing ceremony at the Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra) headquarters at Nakawa in Kampala yesterday, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, the minister of Works and Transport, warned the company against doing shoddy work.

“I want to congratulate Abubaker Technical Services as a local contractor for winning this contract, but I also tell you it is a challenge because you have to prove yourself and if you don’t prove, then you would have sent a very wrong signal not only to yourself, but also to other local contractors. So it is a challenge to you that you deliver,” he said.

“Don’t look so much about money or how much profit you are going to make, look at delivering a viable product which will actually propel you into getting other contracts. We are going to be very keen on getting value for money, so make sure that you put as much technical supervision and as much attention in delivering this project,” Gen Katumba added.

Residents in Greater Luweero, where the National Resistance Army (NRA) launched a war that brought President Museveni to power have in recent times accused the ruling NRM government of neglecting them in terms of restoring and modernising key services such as roads in the area.

Gen Katumba said other roads within Greater Luweero will also be tarmacked and that the government is working to build an efficient road network that will connect one district to the other and improve delivery of services.

Ms Allen Kagina, the executive director of Unra, said the 41km road is critical as it connects Wakiso, Nakaseke and Luweero districts. She said since its upgrade as a low volume road in 2011, it has been in poor state because of the increased traffic heading to Namunkekera Industrial Park.

“As such, this necessitated improving the road geometry as well as strengthening to enable it to carry the increased loading,” she said.

Ms Kagina said the carriageway will be widened to a 3.5m lane with asphalt concrete wearing coarse and that the project also includes upgrading 5km of town roads.

“This extension of the project aims to improve connectivity within the local communities, enhancing accessibility to business, educational and religious institutions,” she said.

Ms Kagina said the project cost of Shs217 billion, is mainly for the civil works because the design maintains the existing alignment, which means land acquisition will be very limited and the supervision of the project will be by the Unra in-house team.

 “Therefore the project will be substantially completed in the defects liability Period, ending in June 2026. This is the period when we monitor the finished works, to see if it meets the technical specifications and expectations, and if any defects are identified, they are rectified by the contractor at no extra cost,” she said.

Hajj Abubaker, the managing director of the company, promised to deliver quality work within the stipulated timeframe. He said they have imported 69 units of new equipment with additional manpower to execute the work as agreed in the contract.