Let us think trains, road use campaigns
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Saturday May 22 2021
Summary
Indiscipline is perhaps the single biggest contributor to the traffic gridlocks that we experience on most of Kampala’s roads. Government should, among other measures, come up with an awareness campaign on road use.
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The government has borrowed Shs1 trillion from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to fix roads in Kampala City.
Under the terms of the agreement, drainage channels are to be enhanced, 22 road junctions are to be upgraded and 67 kilometres of roads improved.
The works will also entail putting in place facilities for 134 kilometres of non-motorised traffic, provision of street lights and establishment of a scheduled eco-bus service complete with bus depots and dedicated lanes.
Uganda seals deal to rehabilitate Malaba-Kampala Railway By Otiato Opali in Nairobi, Kenya | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2021-05-20 15:50
Uganda signed a $46.5 million deal with a Chinese firm on Tuesday to rehabilitate its 260-kilometer railway line between its border with Kenya at Malaba town and its capital, Kampala, in less than 12 months. This comes as Uganda and Kenya join forces to push the rehabilitation and seamless connection of the old meter gauge railway line, which is narrower than standard gauge railway, as Kenya continues revamping its meter gauge railway line from Naivasha to Malaba.
According to a report by Uganda s Parliament Committee on National Economy presented to parliament last week by Syda Bbumba, the committee s chairwoman, the Ugandan government also plans to purchase and rehabilitate coaches, wagons and locomotives, create a railway training school to equip Uganda Railway Corporation management and staff it with modern
Uganda’s Parliament has approved a US $395.5m loan the refurbishment of the Kampala-Malaba Meter Gauge Railway (MGR). The approval in a plenary sitting Chaired by Speaker Rebecca Kadaga came after the approval of a report by the National Economy Committee presented by Nakaseke North MP Syda Bbumba.
According to Hon Bbumba, the Kampala- Malaba project is part of the bigger proposed Meter Gauge Railway (MGR) project, which will entail the rehabilitation of the 8.3km Kampala-Port Bell section and the 12.3km Kampala-Nalukolongo-Kyengera section, purchase and rehabilitation of coaches, wagons and locomotives, creation of a railway training school to equip Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) Management and Staff with modern railway skills, and stock new spares for the workshop.
Daily Monitor
Saturday May 15 2021
The inland container depot in Naivasha, Kenya, where an interchange linking the standard gauge and metre gauge railway lines is being developed to create a seamless passage of goods from the port of Mombasa to the Great Lakes region through Uganda. PHOTO/FILE/NMG
Summary
In May last year, President Museveni argued that increasingly cargo should be shifted from road to the railway, because of its low cost and the high maintenance costs of road networks due to the heavy toll by trucks.
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With an eye on the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan markets, there is renewed vibrancy on the Northern Corridor, as Uganda and Kenya join forces to push the rehabilitation and seamless connection of the old metre gauge railway line, over which the two countries’ officials met this week to thrash out operational details.
10th parliament closes with approval of 5 loans worth Shs 5 trillion
May 12, 2021 Minister for loans David Bahati (C) at parliament today
The 10th parliament has closed shop with the approval of five loans worth Shs 4.8 trillion in just two days.
Parliament s five-year term concluded today, Tuesday according to speaker Rebecca Kadaga. On Monday, parliament approved two loans worth Shs 2.3 trillion from the AFREXIM Bank and the Trade and Development Bank to finance the budget for FY 2021/2022.
Additionally, the MPs approved a loan request by government to borrow up to two Special Drawing Rights (SDR) worth Shs 97 billion from the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank for COVID-19 response and Uganda Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health Improvement Project.