MBARARA – The State Minister for Lands, Housing And Urban Development, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, has said Mbarara Municipality, Isingiro district and Ntungamo Municipality have been allocated a total of UGX127.3b under phase two of the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) programme funded by World Bank.
He said Mbarara Municipality has been allocated UGX86.5 billion which be used for reconstruction of sixteen roads, the establishment of abettor in Nyamitanga Division, the building of Nyamityobora market, upgrading parking space near Rwebikoona market, establishing industrial parks in the three new divisions and improving lighting in the town.
Mbarara received UGX40.6 billion in the first phase of USMID which was used for reconstruction of nine roads and lanes covering six kilometres. Isingiro has been allocated UGX26.8 billion for road infrastructure improvement, urban planning and processing of land titles. Ntungamo municipality has been given UGX 14 billion for the upgrading of roads.
“Mbarara has been given more funds because you used very well the money in the first phase,” Dr Baryomunsi said during the opening of the reconstructed roads in Mbarara on Friday.
President Yoweri Museveni presided over the commissioning. The roads are Buremba, Akiki Nyabongo, Mcallister, Constantino Lobo, Bucunku, Mbaguta, Bishop Wills, Bananuka and Markhansigh.
The project also catered for 10 km walkways, installation solar street lights, planting of trees and grass and establishment dustbins at various points. “In USMID phase two Mbarara Municipality will receive Shs86.5b to continue working on beautifying the town to look as a city. We have already agreed with the leaders in this town on the roads that will be worked on,” Dr Baryomunsi said.
The World Bank has extended extra support of $360m (about UGX1.34 trillion) towards government under the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development Programme-Additional Financing (USMID-AF) in order to improve infrastructure and land tenure security in refugee-hosting districts.
The programme will cover eight refugee hosting districts and 22 municipalities across the country. While the programme under the municipalities will majorly focus on infrastructure development, in the refugee-hosting districts, the focus will be on supporting physical development planning and land tenure security for host communities and refugees. The Lands ministry shall carry out systematic land demarcation and titling for host communities and refugees.
The third component under support to refugee-hosting districts is small scale infrastructural investments in the host communities.
For the 22 municipalities, the focus will be on enhanced capacity in generating own revenue, urban planning, providing a conducive environment for private sector investment and job creation. A total of $10m will be disbursed under municipal institutional support grants and $245m will be given for performance-based municipal development grants
