Kagina irked by substandard Tororo-Mbale-Soroti road works

The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) executive director Allen Kagina, is displeased with the substandard road works done by Dott Services Limited in upgrading the Tororo-Mbale-Soroti Road.

Kagina who was on Saturday inspecting bridges and roads with other UNRA staff said she was irked with what she observed as she was inspecting the 158 kilometre road.

"It is a little bit disappointing … Our findings are that the road works are not up to standard and following this site visit, there will be a technical investigation to be done," she said.

"We have identified all sorts of failures and defects on the road ranging from poor installation of shoulders, drainage channels were not well constructed, the road has a shiny surface we call bleeding where bitumen comes to the surface, laying of stones is not uniform where by in some places there are bigger ones and in others they are totally spaced," Kagina told the media at Akello Hotel in Soroti after the inspection.

Kagina further said Dott Services Ltd applied for a certificate of completion which is issued after works are finished. She there is no way they could issue the certificate when the work is substandard.

She said UNRA will not pay the remaining balance that is demanded by Dott unless it satisfies them with quality road works.

The director roads and bridges in UNRA, Samuel Muhoozi said they had so far paid Dott sh130b and the contractor is demanding a balance of sh60b which he said won't be paid unless the firm finishes all the works with quality.

A section shows the substandard work done by the contractor. Photo by Donald Kiirya

Muhoozi explained that the Tororo-Mbale Road should last for at least 5 years and the Mbale-Soroti one which was upgraded should last 15 years.

The road starts at Tororo and goes through Mbale, Bukedea, and Kumi before ending in Soroti, a distance of about 158 kilometres.

In 2010 the road, previously gravel surfaced, began to undergo upgrades to class II bitumen surface and installation of shoulders and drainage channels.