Parliament has approved Shs 200 billion to
support Uganda's quest to jointly construct a 223-kilometre road with
the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).Uganda
and DRC entered a bilateral agreement to implement strategic
infrastructure projects which includes constructing the road from
Kasindi to Beni measuring about 80 kilometres, Beni to Butembo measuring
54 kilometres and the Bunagana border to Ruchuru-Goma road which
measures 89 kilometres.
Uganda will contribute 20 per cent of the
total cost of the project estimated at $334.5 million, as a measure to
boost trade between the two countries. But the move attracted criticism
from legislators and members of the public who questioned why Uganda
would invest billions of shillings in another country, yet its own
infrastructure is wanting.
Buikwe South MP David Mutebi argued
that it was unrealistic for Uganda to work on roads abroad yet the roads
in the country is in a terrible state.
"The minister of Works presented to this
parliament, the requirements that he had in order to sort out the roads
that have been affected by the works of the railway. Am privy to the
information that money has never been provided and we’re still
struggling with those roads which are supposed to give the producers
access to the market, some of which can even go to the Congo. We’re
looking very ugly as a parliament to support an external project when
we’re sidelining our own roads," said Mutebi.
In line with the
same argument, Erute South MP Jonathan Odur requested that the matter be
deferred until government provides the copies of the agreement, saying
there is a possibility that the agreements could be flawed.
"We’d
agreed that since this money is going to Congo building certain roads
there, but we haven’t seen the agreement also that the budget framework
papers and the ministerial policy has not been processed. We put this
one on hold," Odur said.
Efforts to defer the approval of the
money pending tabling of the agreements was in vain because when the
speaker of parliament Rebecca Kadaga posed the question asking if the
funds should be approved, the majority voted in support. Kadaga said
that the road was vital especially at a time when Ugandan products are
blocked from accessing markets like Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda.
The
Budget Committee chairperson, Amos Lugolobi who presented the report,
which in total sought a supplementary budget if Shs 3.8 trillion
recommended that the signed agreements be laid in parliament before
implementation of the project commences.
Works minister Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala committed to providing the documents before project works commence.
"Madam
speaker the draft of these documents, the inter-govermment agreement
and also the project draft agreements was laid before the committee.
However, the next sitting, I promise to bring the signed documents to
lay them on the floor of parliament. Of course, this is not a project
which is being rushed to implement and as already provided by the
committee we shall lay the relative documents on the floor of parliament
before the implementation," said Katumba.
Uganda plans to engage in other roads projects in countries like Ethiopia and South Sudan.
