The construction works taking place in Greater Metropolitan Kampala area, comes off as a mixed grill of a big sigh of relief and curses occasioned by heavily begrimed roads and buildings and constant grid locks that span miles consuming valuable time.
The cries of potholes that had become a permanent feature are now replaced by curses of dust in a hot weather. It is human nature to always yearn for the best, but it is also a fact that what is best is not achieved on a silver platter. The dusty roads under construction will eventually lead to better roads and because of that, more road accidents will increase due to the newly found relief without potholes. This phenomenon is highlighted in what is happening on highways, the death toll and incidence of accidents has increased due to good roads. This is a result of reckless driving. This has forced government to put humps at regular intervals to try to contain the road carnage.
Some Greater Kampala Metropolitan roads that are under construction have not had a facelift for decades, a new tarmac is turning out to be a novelty to the young generation in these areas. They have known dusty roads as a way of life. Nakawuka is a prime area that had been left untapped due to the poor roads from Nateete, now it is a hot cake. Areas of Busabala, Masajja, Gangu were no different from rural village settings due to the poor roads, now the area is booming with new inhabitants streaming in droves.
The congestion in specific areas of Kampala are a consequence of poor accessibility of those areas in the outskirts that also cause housing pressures leading to slums. While looking for accommodation, there are several considerations to take, one of which is the ease with which to get to central business district. This explains the level of slums in Kampala central.
The population density in the slums is a fertile ground for crimes. The congestion, the squalid environment, poor houses, lead to higher rates of crimes. The renovation of new roads means more residential areas are going to sprout, decongesting the central Kampala. The main concern though, is the snail’s pace at which these constructions are taking place. A few kilometers of a road, take an eternity to complete. This has a lot of adverse effects to the areas affected. Businesses are affected especially eateries, severe coughs, itchy eyes due to dust, poor visibility leading to road accidents. The longer it takes to complete the construction, the more adverse effects to the population.
The poor state of city roads had become a political issue rather than a financial constraint. Political activists took it up into an exhibition on social media, comedians making skits to depict the poor state of roads. The opposition latched at it and caused a big debate, even when it was clear, there were concrete plans to start the program. However, the common factor in all these constructions is the lack of urgency. Why would contractors not work on a crash program, including nights and weekends and have regular watering to minimize dust?
However, the biggest challenge facing the budget line of these projects is land compensations. Land compensations that involve bonafide and illegal owners. There should be a policy on who should be compensated, people who violate the road reserves with illegal structures, should be handled differently from bonafide owners. It does not serve the purpose to reward criminality, instead they should be held liable for the iniquity. Projects have stalled for years because of a standoff between these people and contractors. Even the attempt to form mediation committees have run into headwinds resulting in lengthy court battles. Courts take long to pass judgements which affects the completion time.
Statutory permissions from NEMA, environment impact assessment certificate may also impact the project time. Controversies that arise from environment activists opposing projects offer huge challenges to infrastructure development. There has been persistent opposition to the construction of the oil pipeline that has affected its funding, slowing down its progress. Kampala Metropolitan area has faced these problems. There are areas whose roads have been left in sorry state after realizing that the compensation kit consumes a big part of the project funds, they are not prioritized. Even those with genuine land titles, demand exorbitant figures that ends in stalemate.
Kampala residents should be patient with the contractors, but the contractors should be cognizant of the public concerns about the finishing time, speed and dust must be managed properly. Involvement of local leadership in the project implementation matrix eases their work when society accepts and owns the project. This is achieved through public engagement and consensus building. This compels the society to feel that they are part of the project.