Article By Romie Musiimenta
The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has revealed to the committee on physical infrastructure that an estimated 30,000 meters of chainlink have been vandalized as of November 2022 for a duration of one year.
According to a UNRA report that was presented before the committee, some people have been taken to court while others have been apprehended after they were caught red handed with the stolen government material.
On February 28, 2022, Emmanuel Ochaya a suspect who is described as a serial defaulter was remanded to Kigo Prison under the charge of vandalism and theft of 500pcs of reinforced concrete fencing poles worth Shs40m that occurred along Kajjansi stretch on the Nakigalala along Busega route while on September 15, 2022, suspects, Allan Wandera, James Wandera and others were sent on remand for vandals of 144 meters of chain link that occurred in Kirumba zone in Kajjansi.
Eng. Joseph Otim, director road maintenance, UNRA, revealed that out of 44,000m of fencing over 30,000 meters were vandalized.
“We have many challenges on the road furniture on this road and this is created majorly by two factors one of them is damage due to traffic crashes and also vandalism, the major concern for parliament is the issue of vandalism and what we are doing to try and address this issue,” Otim said revealing that many of the access roads on the express way are supposed to be access restricted.
The Kampala Entebbe Expressway starts from Busega up to Kajansi and then progresses up to Mpala.
The Government of Uganda through UNRA entered into a contract for the operation and maintenance of the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway ,were a contractor called Egis, a French company was given the responsibility of street lighting, supply of toll and traffic equipment, operation, maintenance and toll collection on behalf of UNRA for a period of five years.
Otim revealed that the provision in the contract in the operation and maintenance contract is supposed to provide for all road furniture as this is a contract that is based on performance levels, however, he added how this has not been possible.
“They first stole the fencing and the chainlink itself and majorly to use for private works and used as scrap for getting cash, they have even gone to the extent of breaking the posts which are reinforced concrete and they tried to break the steel in there so that they sell it as scrap to generate some income, we have some evidence of materials that were discovered in their homes,” Otim said.
Presently, UNRA does sensitization campaigns and has radio programs geared towards informing the public against vandalism, but locals have continued to commit the crime of vandalism. According to MPs, the vice is costing the government and taxpayer revenue.
“When we went as COSASE in November, we raised one of the issues as lighting, that the construction contractor CCC is not fixing defects on a timely basis, for example drainage issues, leaking underpasses and overbridges, and cracks in the pavement layers, so they were not fixing these defects,” MP Ndyomugenyi Roland (Rukiga county) said.
The minister of works and transport, Gen. Katumba Wamala, revealed that he has approved three patrol vehicles to ensure security on the expressway and is happy to improve security on the road in addition to the services of private security company known as Pinnacle.
“On the issue of delay of lighting, I think I can give some information, the company that brought in the facilities had a challenge, there is provision in the law that all materials brought in the country must be inspected from the country of origin, during the COVID-19 time there was no movement so these items could not be inspected from the country of origin, so when they landed here they had a problem with Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) where they had a back and forth argument until the matter was brought to my table,” Gen Katumba said.
Road furniture includes traffic lights, signposts, traffic signs, guard rails, mark-up posts, fences, reflectors, and center line pads.