POTHOLE CITY! Gen Muhoozi inspects city roadworks by SFC

The Special Presidential Advisor on Special Operations, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has inspected the ongoing Kampala roadworks by the Special Forces Command engineering regiment.

Accompanied by the KCCA Executive Director, Dorothy Kisaka and her deputy David Luyimbaazi and other KCCA official inspected works on Kiyembe lane, Burton Street, Wilson Street, Rashid Khamis Road and Nsalo road in the city centre and Old Kampala.

The team also toured Lower Kololo Terrace in Kololo.

Lt Eng. Kikomeko Kigongo, the deputy project engineer told the team that their work has been interrupted by the heavy rains that are currently pounding the city and its environs.

“When it rains most of the materials gets soaked yet the principle of engineering is that material should be used at a certain moisture content. When moisture content changes and material gets soggy, it is wasted,” Lt Eng.Kikomeko said.

“When it rains, the storm washes away some of the material but also when potholes take in water and vehicles drive over them, they become deeper. You end up suing more material than anticipated. When you have put material in the pothole, it gets soggy and therefore you have to use more material. Rain also sees traffic building up which requires us a lot of resources to manage traffic which impedes on our progress but also increases our cost of operation.”

The engineers said the poor drainage system has also impeded their work as they have to first clear the system which increases the scope of work.

They agreed to work with KCCA engineers to help address the issue of drainage.

President Museveni in May directed KCCA to handle Kampala Road works and according to Lt Eng.Kikomeko, they are doing the work at shs2.7 billion.

Previously, KCCA had indicated the work to repair Kampala roads would cost a whooping shs12 billion.

SFC spokesperson, Maj Jimmy Omara said they are confident of finishing the roadworks in record time.

“As SFC, we are committed to accomplishing this task. We have what it takes to have this work done and in time,” SFC spokesperson, Maj Jimmy Omara said last week.