UPDATE ON CITY INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENTS

Over the years, KCCA has put emphasis on improving urban mobility and connectivity in order to spur economic growth in Kampala and Uganda. To date, KCCA has tarmacked 646km of roads in Kampala. All of us here can attest to using some of these roads. These roads are wide, tarmacked, some have double lanes in each direction, junctions fitted with traffic lights, walkways, street lighting, and road signs to guide motorists and pedestrians.

In spite of these impressive achievements in expanding the road network in Kampala, traffic congestion remains a major public policy issue in Kampala City and the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area resulting in massive delays, lost productivity and economic losses, insecurity, pollution and road accidents. A number of factors contribute to traffic jam in the City, such as rising numbers of people entering the city daily for business, work and other services; the ever rising number of cars and motorbikes- boda bodas; inadequate public transportation and more.

KCCA is cognizant of these challenges and is embarking on new strategies to tackle traffic congestion and reduce rain flooding  in the City.  KCCA is working with neighboring districts – Wakiso and Mukono to increase the road network and connectivity through a new program funded by the World Bank/ Government of Uganda - the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Urban Development Program. KCCA already started collaborating with other districts by connecting the road network, such as the new Kabuusu- Bunamwaya-Lweza road and several roads constructed to link Kulambiro ring road to Wakiso.

The City still has about 1,464km of untarmacked roads. Therefore, KCCA is working with the Government of Uganda and development partners such as the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the European Union, the Government of Japan, the UK Government, the French Government, the Government of China and others to create an efficient road network and drainage channels in Kampala.

The Second Kampala Institutional and Infrastructure Development Project (KIIDP II)

Background:

The Government of Uganda signed a loan agreement amounting to US$ 175 million to fund the Second Kampala Institutional & Infrastructure Development Project (KIIDP2) that is being implemented by Kampala Capital City Authority. The Government of Uganda provided US$12 million for compensating property owners along the roads and drainage sites under construction. Similarly, a number of generous property owners allowed the project to be constructed on small portions of their land at no cost. We hail and thank the residents of Kulambiro, Kabuusu-Bunamwaya-Lweza, and Lukuli road for their generosity. 

The project became effective in May 2015. The completion of this project was delayed due to a number of challenges. The new closing date is 30th November, 2021. The challenges experienced include the impact of COVID 19 pandemic, delayed acquisition of the land for road and drainage construction and failure by the contractors to mobilize both personnel and equipment on time due to restricted travels during the lockdown among others.

Achievements:

Several roads were reconstructed and upgraded to tarmac. A number of road have two lanes on each side of the road.

Roads Completed under KIIDP2 by 2018

1. Improvement and dualling of Kira road,
2. Upgrading of Mambule road,
3. Reconstruction and dualling of Makerere Hill road
4. Reconstruction and dualling of Bakuli-Nakulabye-Kasubi road

12 junctions were fitted with – traffic lights, push buttons for pedestrians and signage, Namely

• Fairway junction
• four (4) junctions along Makerere Hill road,
•  three (3) junctions along Kira road,
• (1) junction Bwaise – Mambule along Bombo road
• three (3) junctions along Hoima road (Bakuli– Nakulabye section).

Roads completed and some to be completed by November 2021. These are:

1. Upgrading of Kulambiro Ring road & Najeera Link
2. Reconstruction of John Babiha (Acacia) Avenue
3. Reconstruction of Nakawa-Ntinda Road
4. Reconstruction of Windsor Crescent,
5. Reconstruction of Factory Lane
6. Reconstruction of Enterprise road
7. Reconstruction and upgrading of Kabuusu- Bunamwaya –Lweeza road
8. Reconstruction of Lukuli road,
9. Reconstruction of Gava Road
10. Reconstruction of Lukuli Link
11. Upgrading of Ttuba Link
12. Upgrading of Bulabira ring
13. Upgrading of Katale road
14. Upgrading of Ngobe road

Signalisation of 16 Junctions:

• 5 junctions along John Babiha (Acacia) Avenue,
• 5 junctions along Nakawa-Ntinda,
• 2 junctions along Lukuli,
• 1 junction at Kasubi
• 3 junctions along Kabuusu-Bunamwaya –Lweeza road)

On-going Construction of Drainage Channels

1. Construction of 2.58Km of Lubigi Drainage Channel
2. Construction of 3.28Km Nakamiro Secondary Drainage channel.

Under this project, the Directorate of Engineering & Technical Services in KCCA completed a number of studies to guide planning such as:

        GKMA Multi Modal Transport Master Plan,

        Update of the Kampala Drainage Master Plan,

        Non-Motorized Transport plan

The Kampala City Roads Rehabilitation Project

Background:

The Kampala City Roads Rehabilitation Project is supported by the Government of Uganda and the African Development Bank and is worth USD288m

The objective of this project is:

1. To enhance transport efficiency in the City of Kampala by expanding the road network and upgrading traffic junctions to facilitate smooth traffic flow; and

1. To improve the quality air in the City by introducing scheduled eco-bus transit services; and expanding the non-motorized traffic (NMT) networks such as walkways and cycling tracks in Kampala in order to encourage cycling and walking.

Planned deliverables

• The project will improve road transport and ease congestion in the capital by upgrading 22 road junctions and enhancing the drainage capacity of the City to mitigate street flooding in low-lying areas.
• The project will improve 69.7 km of roads in all divisions of Kampala.
• 134 km of non-motorized traffic facilities – walkways, cycling tracks
• Launch reliable eco-bus services
• Instill entrepreneurship skills in at least 200 women and youth through training.
• Construct commercial vehicles parking places, Bus depots, thirty (30) public toilets, six (6) markets along project roads for women vendors
• Installation of 1,600 energy efficient streetlights, and tree planting.

List of roads to be considered under the Kampala City Road rehabilitation Project

ADDITIONAL UPCOMING PROJECTS

The Greater Kampala Urban Development Program is worth UGX 917Billion. The project is expected to start in 2022 for five years. The project will serve Wakiso plus Entebbe, Mukono and Kampala. It will be located in the Ministry of Local Government. The project will focus on: mobility, accessibility and connectivity; disaster risk management and resilience; jobs and employment generation; institutional support and systems development and slum upgrading and low-cost housing.

The Government of Japan gave Uganda a grant worth 89 Billion shillings towards the improvement of 30 junctions (from uncontrolled to signalized). This includes the construction of a traffic control center to enable KCCA manage traffic in the City. The implementation of this project is in advanced stages and the project is expected to start in January 2022.  

Junctions to be signalized under JICA Grant Aid

AFD Street Lighting Project in Kampala City: KCCA is in the process of acquiring funding of approximately Euros 77m from the French Development Agency after GOU clearance. Through this project, KCCA will increase street lighting in Kampala from 8% to 100%. A total of 35,000 lights will be installed. The Euros 70 million is a loan whereas, 7 million is a grant from the European Union.

Kampala City Annuity Roads and Bridges Project is supported by the Government of UK. The cost of the project is USD250 million. This project will renew 270Km of old roads that have outlived their design life.   Four (4) flyover bridges for pedestrians and one key bridge for vehicles will be constructed.

KCCA will construct steel flyovers at five (5) strategic junctions (Mpererwe, Rosebury, Namasole, Kamwokya and Kabalagala junctions); in addition to constructing pedestrian bridges at three (3) critical crossing points (UMI, Kawempe hospital and Queensway).

Under this project utility ducts will be installed in all roads to reduce the need to cut roads for cables, utilities, and street lighting infrastructure; drainage systems will be rehabilitated or constructed, plus sidewalks and cycle paths in locations where the road reserves are sufficient and landscaping and planting of trees will be done.

ACTIONS TAKEN BY KCCA TO FURTHER IMPROVE MOBILITY IN THE CITY

•      KCCA collaborated with Uganda Railway Corporation to revitalize the passenger train service between Kampala and Namanve. The current ridership is at 1,800 passengers per day and on averagely 54,000 passengers per month.

•      KCCA has embarked on Gazetting specific stages for buses and taxis. We have restricted public service vehicles to particular roads within the Central Business District of Kampala. Similarly, route charts were issued to Public transport vehicles by MoWT to ease the flow of traffic .

•      KCCA is improving the flow of traffic in the City by reducing right turns in the Central Business District and converting some roads to one-way traffic, as well as removing road side markets.

•      KCCA is reviewing street parking in the City to make it more efficient. This is will reduce car use in certain areas of the city.

•      KCCA signed a concession agreement with a private investor Metu Zhontong to manufacture, supply and operate 1000 buses in the greater Kampala area within a period of two years. This arose from the need to shift to large capacity buses in order to ease congestion.

•      KCCA & UNRA are constructing a flyover at Nambya-Mukwano road to decongest the City. In addition, there are a number of Government projects similar to the Kampala Flyover Project, at different levels of implementation that will decongest the road network both in Kampala and the surrounding towns.

Public Transportation

The increased volume of taxis and boda bodas has continued to make the level of service of public transport very poor and the whole traffic situation in the city chaotic, to say the least. KCCA has therefore deemed it imperative to formulate regulations as we continue to organize and manage traffic in the Capital City.

KCCA plans to open the Old Taxi Park after renovation. Minor works are outstanding such as painting kerbs, demarcation of stages, sensitization of stage leaders and park administrators, plus renovation of toilet facilities.

Conclusion:

KCCA is grateful and appreciates residents of Kampala for owning and supporting the development of the City infrastructure.

We urge you to protect and guard new infrastructure, roads, street lights, and road signs. 

Secondly, please observe traffic signals at junctions to avoid accidents and obstructing other road users.

Thirdly, keep drainages clean – avoid damping rubbish in the channels.

Lastly, we appeal to you to be on the lookout for people who steal or vandalize City infrastructure and do report to your nearest police post.

For A Better City

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