The Minister of Works and Transport, General Edward Katumba Wamala, has addressed critical issues concerning the Ministry, including the future of former Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) staff and the massive debt left behind by the now-disbanded agency.
In a statement shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Gen. Katumba revealed that UNRA left behind outstanding liabilities amounting to Shs1.3 trillion, owed to contractors for various road projects across the country.
The Minister assured contractors that his Ministry is actively collaborating with the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development to clear these debts in a phased approach.
“The outstanding liabilities from UNRA exceed Shs 1.3 trillion, and we are working closely with the Ministry of Finance to address this debt. While immediate payment may not be feasible, we are exploring all available options to mitigate further financial losses and ensure timely payments to our service providers,” Gen. Katumba stated.
Some of the road contractors.Despite the financial strain, he reassured contractors that the government remains committed to settling these obligations and maintaining smooth operations in the road sector.
Following UNRA’s dissolution and integration into the Ministry of Works and Transport, concerns had risen regarding the fate of its former staff. However, Gen. Katumba reassured both project managers and employees that their jobs remain secure.
“I want to reassure all project managers and staff previously deployed under UNRA that your roles are secure. We value your contributions and will ensure that you remain integral to the projects, as long as you wish to continue your service in the public sector,” he affirmed.
Beyond debt management and employment security, Gen. Katumba also shed light on critical work processes, procurement, and project execution where he emphasized the need for timely project implementation, warning that delayed projects will no longer be tolerated.
“Contracts will now only be signed when projects are ready to commence and strict adherence to project timelines will be enforced” he said.
Gen. Katumba also says plans are under way to eliminate unnecessary delays in procurement,
“Contractors have been urged to submit complete and accurate tender documents upfront, arithmetic errors and shortcuts in submissions will no longer be accepted” he emphasised
On the Projects Without Right of Way, he says going forward, projects lacking secured Right of Way will not be allowed to proceed.
“This measure is aimed at avoiding legal and logistical complications during project execution” Katumba stated
In a recent meeting with contractors and consultants in the road construction and maintenance sector, Gen. Katumba reveals that they discussed business continuity, project financing, and efficiency following UNRA’s integration into the Ministry.
Some of the key highlights included donor-funded project, contractors were he assured that the government would continue collaborating with development partners to ensure seamless execution of donor-funded projects
On support from commercial banks he recognized the concerns raised by financial institutions.
He also encouraged contractors to communicate any banking-related challenges and the ministry pledged to provide assurances to local and foreign banks, ensuring that the current transition does not lead to unnecessary financial burdens on contractors.
