Kcca to Construct Junctions, Drainage Channels to Curb Traffic, Flooding in Kampala

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has announced new projects in Kampala aimed at solving common challenges faced by city dwellers.

The most common challenges include traffic jam, flooding especially during the rainy season, poor waste management among others.

At the beginning of 2019, KCCA set a plan along it’s areas of operation starting with the revamping of road infrastructure, drainage, street lighting, waste management among others.

With funding from the World Bank under Kampala Institutional and Infrastructure Development Project phase II, KCCA launched Batch 2 road projects and they include Kulambiro – ring road and its extension which is 5.7km, 2.8 km Nakawa – Ntinda road, 1.4km Acacia road, Kabusu – Bunamwaya – Lweza road which is 8km and Lukuri road which is 7.7km.

Acacia and Nakawa – Ntinda roads will be 4 lanes with signalized junctions.

Speaking to the press on Monday, KCCA acting Executive Director Eng. Andrew Kitaka said the land for expansion of these roads was secured from residents free of charge.

“In total, we have got land worth 4.5 billion, free. This money would otherwise have been paid by Government but we got it free of charge.”

“These roads were handed over to the contractor and will all be completed before the end of this year in November,” said Kitaka.

A total of 13 junctions will be signalized along these roads. They include Ntinda junction, Martyrs way junction, Semawata junction, Ntinda II junction, lower Kololo terrace junction, upper Kololo terrace junction, Acacia avenue junction among others.

The reasons for the construction of junctions according to Kitaka is to reduce traffic.

Meanwhile, through Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA), KCCA received a grant worth 89 billion shillings to signalize 30 more junctions in the city and construction of a traffic control center at KCCA headquarters.

The project will commence in April this year and will take 24 months (2 years) to be completed.

“As you see there is a lot of traffic in the city and it is very difficult to control it without traffic junctions. We are progressing very well in that area and in about two years from now, we shall be having a city with about 80 junctions, traffic lights and a traffic control center. That means traffic will be moving in a controlled manner,” he said.

Kitaka added that KCCA has plans to rehabilitate and widen most of the roads in Kampala to accommodate more cars and reduce on traffic.

“We have a major Programme coming up very soon which is expected to start around July this year. It will take about 3 years and we shall see about 140km of roads rehabilitated. Some will be widened to 4 lanes, new junctions will be improved and the potholes you see will be history.”

“Most of our roads in the city have outlived their design life. They were constructed in the colonial times, traffic has increased tremendously and therefore they are due for rehabilitation.”

Under drainage, Kitaka said there are two contracts which will start soon.

“These are contracts for construction of the remaining part of Lubigi channel and also construction of secondary channel to Lubigi which is called Nakamiro channel.”

The two channels he said will improve drainage in Bwaise, the area with poorest drainage system in Kampala.

Other channels that will be constructed include one in Bugolobi around Shell gas station, two channels in Kawempe North.

For the long time cries by people over flooding at Clock Tower, he said: “this is going to be short lived because we have been able to collaborate with UNRA (Uganda National Roads Authority) which is implementing a project for the flyovers at Clock Tower and they have already included the drainage component of Clock Tower area into that project. We shall see channels widened at Clock Tower.”

He added that more emphasis will be put on underground drainage system by inserting bigger culverts at Clock Tower to curb flooding.

Meanwhile, on matters street vending, he said new Kasubi market has been completed and all vendors transacting business around Kasubi will be forced into the market in March this year.

Currently, there are about 1300 vendors around Kasubi.

 

The construction of phase one of market at Kitintale along Old Port Bell road will be completed in September this year and will accommodate 700 vendors.

In Busega, he noted that KCCA in collaboration with Ministry of Local Government are constructing a market which will accommodate 2500 vendors.

In addition, Kitaka said KCCA is creating space along Nakivubo at Ssebana Kizito road which will accommodate pedestrians and street vendors. It will officially be handed to street vendors to do their business by the end of this month.

“We are calling upon them (street vendors) to move away from the streets. We shall give them that space for them to transact.”

On matters public health and environment, Kitaka said KCCA will around June this year launch tenders for collection, transpiration and dumping of garbage at Kitezi where garbage is dumped.

Companies with capacity to collect garbage will apply for tenders.

“These companies will have to have enough trucks and enough personnel to supervise their areas of operation,” he noted.

Each Division in Kampala will have one contract for a contractor who will be doing the job.

On the outcry of many people in Kampala over lack of public toilets, he assured Kampala dwellers that 24 public toilets will be constructed in all Divisions of Kampala in addition to a deal reached between KCCA and National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) to construct 70 more toilets for public use.

 

To improve air quality in Kampala, he said they have launched a project which will make all Divisions of Kampala have air quality monitors.

“These monitors will be directed at specific places and we shall be monitoring them from time to time to monitor the quality of air in our city Kampala,” Kitaka added.