Published on 06/07/2024
The Secretary to the Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi, recently claimed that Uganda’s roads have surpassed those in the United Kingdom in quality, following significant investments in infrastructure by the Ugandan government. Ggoobi cited a conversation with a member of the UK House of Lords who praised the country’s road improvements.
Ggoobi made these remarks during a budget training session for members of the Uganda Parliamentary Press Association at Africana Hotel in Kampala. He urged journalists to report accurately on the state of Uganda’s roads, rather than focusing solely on the potholes in Kampala.
“I have had foreigners and investors driving around the country. Recently, a Lord from the United Kingdom, who sits in the House of Lords, visited my office. He told me that he had been to Karamoja, Kisoro, and Kasese and remarked that Uganda now has better country roads than the United Kingdom. In a developed country, ‘country roads’ means the main roads connecting cities to districts,” Ggoobi said.
He also revealed that in the FY2024/25, the focus would shift from constructing new roads to maintaining existing ones. He cautioned journalists against joining the chorus of complaints about Kampala’s potholes and instead encouraged them to highlight the overall improvements in Uganda’s road network over the past decade.
“We are going to construct a few new roads, but the emphasis now is on maintaining the tarmac we have accumulated. We have made significant progress in accumulating tarmac over the last 10 years. Journalists, who travel extensively, should inform Ugandans about these improvements. While there is still work to be done, the state of our roads has improved markedly,” Ggoobi added.
He further explained, “Although there are complaints about potholes in Kampala, we need to interrogate why the government allowed the capital city’s infrastructure to decay. It’s a valid question, but also consider the heavy investment in infrastructure connecting the rest of the country.”
During the 2024/25 budget speech, Minister of Finance Matia Kasaija announced that in 2023/24, 205 kilometers were added to the paved road network, bringing the total to 6,338 kilometers, which is over 30% of the national road network.
The Ministry of Finance has allocated UGX4.989 trillion for transport infrastructure, with UGX1.27 trillion dedicated to the construction and upgrade of national roads and bridges. Some of the major projects include the rehabilitation of the Kampala-Jinja Highway (72 km), Busunju-Kiboga-Hoima Road (145 km), and Mityana-Mubende Road (86 km).
Ggoobi also advised journalists on how to report on the national budget, acknowledging the challenges in making the budgeting process more transparent. He stressed the importance of public understanding and ownership of the budget.
“Some of my colleagues prefer to keep budget details under wraps until the day it is presented. However, the budget process should be transparent because it belongs to the people. They should be aware of its progress and contents to feel a sense of ownership,” Ggoobi stated.
He concluded, “Increased awareness will help the public understand and embrace the budget. Transparency in the budget process is crucial for accountability and public interest.”
