Media Stories

 

KCCA to embark on fighting traffic jam in the city

The New Vision, October 26th 2021

https://www.newvision.co.ug/articledetails/118228/kcca-to-embark-on-fighting-traffic-jam-in-the

The Acting Director of Engineering and Technical Services, Kampala Capital City Authority Eng. Justus Akankwasa has assured Ugandans that KCCA is tirelessly working to reduce the massive traffic congestion in the city.

During a brief meeting at Media Centre in Kampala on Monday, Akankwasa gave an update on the city roads, drainage, and transport in the city and highlighted traffic jam as a major public concern. He said the irritating congestion is caused by the increased number of people entering the city, a high number of boda bodas, cars, and many others.

 

30 city junctions set to be signalised

The Monitor Newspaper, Tuesday, October 26, 2021

https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/30-city-junctions-set-to-be-signalised-3596876

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) will in January next year start the signalisation of at least 30 junctions across the city as one of the ways to control traffic flow. The KCCA director of engineering and technical services, Mr Justus Akankwansa, said they would also construct a traffic control centre. Mr Akankwansa said the government of Japan gave Uganda a Shs89b grant towards improvement of  junctions. “Improving traffic control will encourage wider economic impacts and bring orderliness on the city roads. KCCA is grateful to the government of Japan and appreciates residents of Kampala for owning and supporting the development of city infrastructure,” he said.

 

KCCA unveils plans to tackle traffic congestion

NTV News October 25th, 2021

https://www.ntv.co.ug/ug/news/business/kcca-unveils-plans-to-tackle-traffic-congestion--3595938

Kampala Capital City Authority has unveiled plans to have 30 additional signalised traffic lights installed in the city following an 89 billion shilling grant from the Japanese government. The installation of the traffic lights is expected to coincide with the construction and rehabilitation of more roads in the metropolitan area with a view of easing traffic congestion. A part of this development will be 134 kilometres of non-motorised traffic roads. The city has only 640 kilometres tar - marked of the 2,100 kilometres.

 

Inside Shs3 trillion plan to revamp Kampala’s roads

The Monitor Newspaper, Friday, October 29, 2021

https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/inside-shs3-trillion-plan-to-revamp-kampala-s-roads-3600682

“We adopted a very ambitious five-year development strategy (2021-2025) with a primary goal of transforming Kampala from its current status of “a huge slum” to a functional, resilient, vibrant, inclusive and liveable city or metropolis. It’s projected to cost about$2b, and one the key deliverables or area of focus is overhaul of the infrastructure, which is apparently in deplorable state,” says Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago. “Of the total Kampala road network of 2,210km, only 616km is paved. And not all the paved roads are in good and motorable condition. It’s imperative that priority is given to the implementation of the newly enacted Roads Act by, inter-alia pumping more resources in infrastructure development with the assistance of Africa Development Bank, World Bank under Kampala Institutional and Infrastructure development (KIDP), JICA and Road Fund, among others,” he adds.

 

KCCA to spend sh89b on improvement of 30 junctions

The New Vision, Oct 26, 2021

https://www.newvision.co.ug/articledetails/118193/kcca-to-spend-sh89b-on-improvement-of-30-junc

This includes the construction of a traffic control centre to enable KCCA to manage traffic in the city. “The implementation of this project is in advanced stages, and the project is expected to start in January 2022,” said the Director of Engineering and Technical Services, KCCA, Eng. Justus Akankwasa.

 

50% of workers walk to and from Kampala, study says

The Monitor Newspaper, Wednesday, October 27, 2021

https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/50-of-workers-walk-to-and-from-kampala-study-says-3598394

Presenting the findings on Monday in Kampala, Mr Jacob Byamukama, the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) deputy director roads management, said 50 per cent of workers in Kampala access the city by walking to and from home daily while 30 per cent use taxis (public transport), 10 per cent boda bodas and 10 per cent personal cars.  

However, the study noted, 83 per cent of workers who access the city through public transport use taxis while only 8.9 per cent use boda bodas.

 

Traffic jam one of most pressing concerns in Kampala, says study

The Monitor Newspaper, Friday, October 29, 2021

https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/business/finance/traffic-jam-one-of-most-pressing-concerns-in-kampala-says-study-3600266

The … study speaks to government agendas concerning urban transport reform, to the interests of key stakeholders within the transport sector and concerns of the general public …  KCCA’s own social media campaign demonstrate that traffic and congestion is by far the most significant issue that city-dwellers are concerned with,” the study authored by Mr Paul Isolo Mukwaya from Makerere University and Mr Tom Goodfellow, from Sheffield University, reads in part.

 

Locals welcome works on Lubigi channel

The Monitor Newspaper, June 7th,  2021
 

KCCA to focus on infrastructure
The Monitor Newspaper, January 4th,  2019

Kampala. Kampala Capital City Authority’s acting executive director Andrew Mubiru Kitaka has said KCCA will focus on development of infrastructure to ease mobility as one of its major plans for the city in the first six months.

“In the next three to six months, we have set an ambitious yet achievable plan across our areas of operation ranging from road works, street lighting, waste management, revenue administration and economic empowerment of the city among others,” Mr Kitaka said.

Mr Kitaka said the plan is to have five more city roads constructed and others renovated. The five roads are Kulambiro and Ntinda-Nakawa Road, John Babiiha Road (Acacia Avenue) in central division, Kabusu-Bunamwaya-Lweza Road in Rubaga division and Lukuli Road in Makindye Division.

The five roads are under the second batch of the second Kampala Institutional and Infrastructural Project (KIIDP-2). KIIDP-2 is a five year project funded by World Bank and it seeks to improve Kampala’s road network and construction of drainage channels.

 

KCCA moves to construct channels to curb floods
The Monitor Newspaper, December 3rd, 2018

City residents have a reason to smile as KCCA has earmarked three drainage channels for construction to mitigate perennial flooding. The three drainage channels include; Lubigi and Nakamiro in Kawempe Division, and Nalukolongo in Rubaga Division.

Mr Brian Baagala, the KCCA’s manager in-charge of drainage told Daily Monitor that the construction of Lubigi, Nakamiro and Nalukolongo drainage channels will be financed by the Government of Uganda and the World Bank …implemented by KCCA under the Second Kampala Institutional and Infrastructure Development Project (KIIDP-2)

 

KCCA traffic control center to monitor 12 Kampala junctions
NTV News, November 19th, 2018

Kampala Capital City Authority, has launched a traffic control center from where city traffic will be monitored and managed. Currently, the control centre is able to monitor traffic on 12 junctions in Kampala, especially those where modern traffic lights have recently installed.

 

KCCA hands over new infrastructure to Makerere
The Monitor Newspaper, November 1st, 2018 

KCCA yesterday officially handed over a refurbished main gate and nine roads to Makerere University management, and a three-storey classroom block to Makerere College School.

The 3.5km refurbished roads were constructed with inbuilt drainage and large car parks, paved walkways and street lights, and pedestrian crossings regulated by traffic lights.

The authority’s Shs6.9b in-kind compensation in terms of the new infrastructure follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on June 21, 2016 between KCCA and Makerere after the former encroached on the latter’s 2.468 acres of land during the ongoing Makerere Hill Road Construction.

The new Makerere Hill Road is one of the roads that were constructed by KCCA under the second Kampala Institutional and Infrastructure Development Project (KIIDP-2) aimed at enhancing the infrastructure and institutional capacity of the city.

 

What you need to know about property tax
The Monitor Newspaper, Wednesday October 10th, 2018

Flavia Nanteza, 52, owns a commercial building in Naguru, Nakawa Division. However, during the current valuation of properties in the division by KCCA, she protested the tax KCCA levied on her property.

Many of these do not know who to appeal to when the tax team comes knocking with a bill they believe is unfair.

Fred Andema, KCCA’s director of revenue collection, says property tax is determined in two ways. For residential rented houses such as rentals, or apartments, Andema says, they compute the total amount of money such a building makes annually and after all other expenses have been deducted, KCCA taxes only six per cent of the remaining amount.

He explains that for commercial buildings such as arcades, KCCA measures the space in square metres per floor and the amount of money each floor makes annually.

However, he says property tax excludes residential houses, registered worship places such as churches and mosques, local council offices, recreational centres, the president’s office and embassies.

 

City authorities unveil new transport master plan
The Monitor Newspaper, October 5th, 2018

The new Multi-Modal Urban Transport Master plan for the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area is set to undercut the city’s traffic jam.The new transport plan intends to phase out taxis and boda boda and replaced them with the Bus Transit System and Rail Transit system.

Also, non-motorised corridors will be gazetted to cater for pedestrians. Currently, there is no non-motorised corridor in Kampala Metropolitan area.The master plan is part of the second phase of the Kampala Institutional and Infrastructural Development Project (KIIDP).

 

KCCA names and numbers properties, streets in Kampala
The New Vision Newspaper, July 2nd, 2018

Many people have had a rough time trying to describe to others or locate places in Kampala because they lack proper road and property numbering. But this is set to change with the World Bank project to name and number property in the city and its suburbs implemented by KCCA.

 

Traffic jam eats up sh2.8 trillion every year
The New Vision Newspaper, June 16th, 2018

“…But the traffic congestion is more than that irritating jam.  A world Bank study says those traffic jams are costing Uganda over US$800m (over sh2.8trillion) in lost Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

This is the loss that many Ugandans do not quantify as they sit in the traffic jams. True, part of the problem is the improper and inconsiderate use of the road by some drivers, but the biggest problem is the increasing … number of cars in the city without matching expansion of the roads or proper planning for them.

A better affordable urban transportation system would improve connectivity and movement of people including the poor and products to markets.”

 

How is traffic jam in Kampala being addressed?
The Monitor Newspaper, March 23rd, 2018

“Mr Moses Atwine, the KCCA director of Physical Planning said that much as the solution to the recurring problem is to widen the roads, the law has to be implemented. “We have most of the points of traffic congestion caused by indiscipline but the problem is with implementing the law.

Mr Peter Kaujju, the KCCA director of public and corporate Affairs acknowledged the public’s uproar over the heavy congestion but he attributed it to indiscipline motorists.  “We have signalled over 20 junctions in the city and these traffic lights have reduced traffic jam.” Mr Kaujju revealed that KCCA is currently working with the traffic police to weed out all defiant motorists, and reducing congestion.

The traffic lights, just like the current roads project, are being funded by World Bank and implemented by KCCA. The five-year project will cost $183m.”

 

New KCCA Road Lights Will Ease Traffic Flow
The Monitor, Editorial, October 10th, 2017(extract)

 “.. Motorists and traffic police are happy with the lights that are on Kira Road in Bukoto, as well as those on Yusuf Lule Road near Fairway Hotel. This is why the erection of the traffic lights on that road, in a project by Kampala Infrastructural and Institutional Development Project (KIIDP - 2) to expand the road and place more traffic lights, is welcome. A taxi driver, Frank Ssemakula, pleased about the traffic lights in Bukoto, says: "These new traffic lights at Kabira have really helped the majority of us the motorists. It is, therefore, pleasant to see that some of these projects, which were likely on the plan for years, are actually taking off. The results are immediate. The Kampala Capital City Authority should therefore be applauded for this work and be encouraged to see to it that the works of KIIDP-2 are completed and on time."

 

KCCA, IRCU partner on city programs
The New Vision Newspaper, 28th July 2017 

The religious leaders, meeting with the executive directive of Kampala and a team of technical officers on Thursday, pledged to use their places of worship to sensitize worshippers to adhere to regulations and positive behavior.

 

Impressed by KCCA Responsiveness
Tweet by Bernard Mukasa, April 19th, 2017
"Impressed by KCCA responsiveness. Entire Government could pick a leaf. Kira Road lights were dealt with within hours of tweeting about them" 

 

City Junctions upgrade to be done by December-Contractor
The Monitor Newspaper, March 16th, 2017
Seven city junctions and road reconstruction to smoothen traffic flow are on course and are to be commissioned by December, the contractor China Railway Seventh Group said.  Mr. Joseph Darfur,  a senior environmental expert, World Bank, Nigeria hailed CRSG “I am satisfied and impressed that the contractor had done a good work.”  The Project Coordinator Charles Tumwebaze said “We have keenly supervised the contractor to ensure there is value for money, social and environment issues are addressed. …We are very satisfied with the contractor’s work.”
 

KCCA to start house numbering programme, residents to pay, NTV News, March 6th, 2017
Over the past 3 months, some streets and city buildings have been getting yellow address plates as part of a pilot project give numbers to all houses and plots in the city. KCCA’s director of physical planning, Moses Atwine, said the move will facilitate better planning of the city. Meanwhile KCCA ’s Director of  Revenue says  the authority was able to raise Shs85billion in revenue last year. The growth is largely attributed to property tax collections. KCCA’s target in the 2016-2017 financial year is to collect Shs112billion through its new aggressive policy to widen the tax base.

 

KCCA Sensitizes on House Numbering, By NBS TV - March 7th, 2017
The Kampala Capital City Authority has started the implementation of a house identification exercise aimed at improving accessibility within the city.

 

KCCA starts house numbering, residents to pay, The Monitor Newspaper, March 7th, 2017
In a bid to ease navigation around the city, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) is numbering roads, streets and houses by fixing numbered plates. The KCCA director physical planning, Mr Moses Atwine, said this new address model, shall be a requirement for one going forward to occupy his/her building.

 

KCCA hits 20% tax collection increment, The Insider, March 7th, 2017, By Johnson Thembo
In just two years, tax collections rose by 20% by end of the fiscal year 2015/2016. ..Fred Andema, Deputy Director Revenue Collection, KCCA said, “Revenue collection in Kampala city increased by 15 billion shillings (20% ) in two years by end of fiscal year 2015/ 2016. He said, “Even the current budgeted revenue estimates of UGX 112 Billion for the fiscal year 2016/17 is not adequate. We therefore need to undertake additional interventions to step up revenue collections.”

 

Facebook Post: KCCA: Thanks for the good work
Mukasa Diidi, February 19th, 2017

Thanks for the good work, and a little more thanks to Mr. Charles the KIIDP 2 Project Head, He is an approachable man and resourceful. He was helpful while we chased our compensation and he never at anytime asked for any form of gratification in return,. Please if possible, let him know that the late Mbogo Family keeps him in prayer.

 

Letter to the Editor: Thank you KCCA for good roads
The New Vision, February 2nd, 2017

I commend Kampala Capital City Authority for the remarkable infrastructural improvements especially as far as the road works are concerned.  The rehabilitation and reconstruction of roads around Fairway Hotel and Kamwokya-Bukoto areas among others have given the city a new lease on life….

 

KCCA to set up traffic control centre

New Vision Newspaper, January 18th, 2017
To improve traffic flow in the city, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has started embarked on the construction of a traffic control centre at the authority. The centre will feature advanced urban traffic ICT systems, said Ag. Director engineering and technical service, Justus Akankwasa.  The project coordinator KIIDP II, Charles Tumwebaze, said installation of upgraded traffic signals has begun and KCCA expects to complete it within two years. Peter Kaujju, the authority's spokesperson, in a statement issued by KCCA, said the junction improvement/upgrade process is intended to provide modern traffic control equipment which will ensure safety of pedestrians.

 


KCCA gets sh6b to construct six roads

 

The New Vision Newspaper, January 11th, 2017
Government has given KCCA sh6.1b for construction of eight roads in the city as part of the third quarter release for FY 2016/17. Akankwasa hailed leaders and residents of Kulambiro ring road and Acacia Avenue for availing land for construction at no cost.  …Charles Tumwebaze said procurement will start in February 2017. David Semugooma also revealed that works on Mambule road are at 85%. 

 


Kampala to be floods-free by 2019

The New Vision Newspaper, January 11th, 2017

According to the newly released Kampala drainage master plan, the authority will prioritize improvement of main channels in the city. The acting director engineering and technical services, Justus Akankwasa, …said designs for the all drainage channels are ready and construction would commence in February. Charles Tumwebuze, the project coordinator said some of the roadside drains would be widened to provide easy passage of water.

 


KCCA to Start Work on Flood Black Spots

(Uganda Radio Network – distributor of news to radios country-wide), January 11th, 2017

 

Construction of a 65-kilometer drainage system in Kampala starts next month thanks to a successful flood master plan update for the city.  KIIDP Project Coordinator Charles Tumwebaze says that channels will be worked on after a detailed study on the problem and general solutions to the flooding. He says the flood master plan, was updated in December last year. Justus Akankwasa, the Director Engineering and Technical services at KCCA noted that the project will also see several roads constructed, adding that with better roads comes better drainage. He says since areas like Kulambiro and Acacia Avenue have given the land for free, KCCA will start working on their roads while others come later. Akankwasa said, “Compensation for right of way and drainage construction is still a major bottleneck.”

 

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