Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has ordered contractors on its African Development Bank (AfDB) funded road-upgrade programme to seal every open manhole, remove rubble and install underground ducts for telecom lines or risk penalties.
During a Thursday inspection of the Kampala City Roads Rehabilitation Project (KCRRP) sites on 5th, 6th and 7th Streets, Deputy Executive Director Benon Kigenyi said warning tape around gaping chambers was “lazy and dangerous”.
“Someone can fall in and die; that defeats the whole purpose of a better road,” he told site managers.
“From today, manholes must be plated or covered, debris removed from shopfronts and safe walkways provided.”
Kigenyi, accompanied by Engineering Director Eng. Justus Akankwasa and Roads & Drainage Deputy Director Eng. Maurice Kairania, also directed firms to lay empty ducts so telecoms and power utilities can pull cables below ground instead of leaving “spider webs” overhead.
The Industrial Area works form part of Lot III of KCRRP, a UGX 1.2 trillion project co-financed by the African Development Bank and Government of Uganda to rebuild 70 km of city roads, widen drains and add LED street-lighting.
KCCA says every contractor’s monthly certificate will now include a safety and housekeeping score. “We want smoother traffic, but not at the cost of injuries or blocked businesses,” Kigenyi added.
