The Special Forces Command (SFC) construction regiment has said it they will deliver quality work and in record time as they carry out maintenance works on Kampala roads.
“We are about 35% of the scope in these two weeks and in terms of areas we are more than 40% in Kampala Central. We are promising to a cost effective, efficient and quality work in record time,” Lt Eng. Kikomeko Kigongo, the assistant project manager said.
President Museveni in May directed KCCA and all other responsible government agencies to work with SFC Construction Regiment headed by Lt Col Eng. Robert Chabo to repair potholes and also carry out road maintenance in Kampala City.
The directive came following an uproar by members of the public over the sorry state of roads in Uganda’s capital, with many blaming KCCA for turning a blind eye to the potholes.
According to Lt Eng.Kikomeko, the scope of work they have is doing sectional repairs as well as pothole repairs but in selected areas of Kampala.
He explained that for potholes, they are working on the sub base(if it is affected), base and put asphalt on top whereas for sectional repairs which are bigger areas, they correct the sub base, base and the wearing course (asphalt course).
The assistant project manager said as part of the agreement, they will be working on Rashid Khamis Road, Nsalo road, Old Kampala ring, Fort Road, School road, Lower Kololo Terrace, K.A.R road, Snay Bin Amir rise, Kiyembe lane, William street, Burton street, Wilson street, Dustur street, Sikh street, Berkeley road, Ginnery road and Boundary road among others in the Central Business District.
Lt Eng.Kikomeko said the agreement was to complete works in 45 days.
He explained that they also work during the night but insisted there are activities that must be completed during the day, noting that works are paused during peak hours.
This initiative gained momentum after a visit by Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Senior Presidential Advisor in charge of Special Operations, to the potholed roads earlier this year. In May, Gen. Muhoozi met with the leadership of the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) at City Hall and conducted a joint inspection of the roads in the Industrial Area.
In his directive, President Museveni emphasized, “This is to direct you to cause the relevant agencies of government to allow KCCA to directly work with the SFC Construction Regiment to repair the famous potholes in Kampala City,” in a letter dated May 22.
The public’s outcry regarding the prevalence of potholes in Kampala has been gaining momentum, with Ugandans expressing their frustration on social media. Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, highlighted the issue during a parliamentary session, stating, “We have potholes of every design and size, deep, shallow, wide, narrow, filled with water and dry ones; they are all in Kampala.”
In response to the mounting pressure, the SFC construction regiment, in collaboration with KCCA, has taken on the task of addressing this long-standing problem and working towards restoring the city’s roads to a more accessible and safer condition.
