By:  Ismael Kasooha

The Prime Minister of Uganda, Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja has assured the people of Bukedi sub region that the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government is committed to transforming the country through investment in roads and other infrastructure.

“The NRM Government under the able and wise leadership of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has always emphasized social economic transformation of the country. Social Economic Transformation of the country has been and remains one of the core objectives of the NRM since it came to power in 1986,” said Nabbanja.

The Premier was presiding over the commissioning of the Nakalama-Tirinyi-Mbale 99.3km road, Tirinyi-Pallisa-Kumi/Pallisa-Kamonkoli 111km road and the Namunsi–Sironko-Muyembe-Kapchorwa 65km Road in Bukedi sub region.

She said that she was pleased to be commissioning these roads just a few days to the 26th of January, the day when the country commemorates 36 years of the NRM Government and Revolution.

Nabbanja said that in these 36 years, the NRM Government has achieved a lot in the area of infrastructure development, in addition to ensuring peace, unity, security and stability.

She said that building of sound infrastructure such as these roads is key in the transformation agenda.

“Sound roads open up the country for business, they ease transportation of goods and services from the farms to the markets and also attract investment on top of reducing the cost of doing business,” said Nabbanja.

She said that good roads contribute to boosting tourism and expanding the economy.

“It is because of the above and other reasons that this Government has emphasized construction of roads, bridges, airports, railway lines in our NDP3 and the NRM Manifesto,”  the prime minister added.

PM addressing the public while commissioning roads in Bukedi Sub region

She asked the Ministry of Works to ensure that these roads are properly maintained and that they shouldn’t allow small pot holes turn into lakes.

“I want to hope and believe that the quality of these roads is up to standard and that we will not see cracks and the surfaces being washed away due to simple rains,” warned Nabbanja.

The premier warned that government will not hesitate to investigate shoddy works and if found that the cause was negligence, poor supervision or poor quality works, the contractors and the engineers that supervised the works will be prosecuted.

“Government has spent a lot of money on these projects, with funding coming from loans. We must ensure that Ugandans have got value for money from these projects,” said Nabbanja.

The prime minister appealed to the local leadership in the districts where these roads pass to sensitize the public not to steal road equipment like guard rails and also not to encroach on the road reserves.

“I appeal to you to use the roads to do business but don’t just use them to dry cassava,” said Nabbanja.

Jeniffer Namuyangu, the Bunyoro Affairs State Minister and district woman member of parliament for Budaka District thanked government for opening up their area for business.

“We thank government for the roads and we are optimistic that we shall use them to increase our household incomes,” said Namuyangu.

End