• Reference: P-UG-DB0-020
• Approval date: 25/09/2009
• Start date: 11/07/2011
• Appraisal Date: 01/06/2009
• Status: OngoingOnGo
• Implementing Agency: MINISTRY OF WORKS
• Location: WESTERN UGANDA

The project comprises the following components:

(a) Civil works for;

the upgrading of gravel surfaced road to bitumen standard with 6.0-m wide carriageway and 1.5-m shoulders on either side from Nyakahita town through Ibanda to Kamwenge (153km);

(b) Consultancy services for:

(i) the supervision of civil works for the above;

(ii) the feasibility and detail engineering design studies of Kayunga - Galirya (83km) and Hoima - Butiaba - Wanseko(111km) roads

(c) Compensation and resettlement and

(d) Audit services.

The specific objective of the project is to promote the effort of Government in poverty reduction through improvement of road infrastructure in rural areas of western Uganda by providing all weather access for the supply of farm inputs, evacuation of produce to major market centers and socio-economic facilities, thus improving the level of service and efficiency of the road network.

The Nyakahita - Ibanda - Kamwenge gravel road serves the highly fertile areas of Kiruhura, Ibanda and Kamwenge districts. When the Kamwenge - Fort Portal (66km) road is constructed, the project road will provide a route into the eastern part of the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through the border at Lamia (103 km from Fort Portal), providing development stimulus and fostering regional integration. The Bank is financing the Fort Portal - Bundibugyo - Lamia road upgrading project under RSSP2 that extends to the boarder with DRC.

The rationale behind the proposed project is that the improvement of the road will promote the effort of the Government in poverty reduction through improvement of road infrastructure in rural areas of western Uganda by providing all weather access for the supply of farm inputs and evacuation of produce to major market centers, thus improving the level of service and efficiency of the road network.

Improvement of the road network reduces transport costs, reduces travel time and provides benefits to communities through affordable transport thereby increasing their mobility and related economic activity. The primary beneficiaries are road users, traders and farmers. An important economic benefit to be derived as a result of road improvement is the increase in agricultural production from the farm holdings within the road's zone of influence.

In Uganda, the man to women ratio is 96:100 and in the project districts, ranges from 93 (Kamwenge) to 102 (Kiruhura). In the project area, the women are generally producers of food crops while the men are landowners. The main determinant of rural poverty reduction has been the ability to market high-value cash crops. The households in food crop sector, especially those marketing little amounts of food crops only experience modest rates of poverty reduction. However, the gender division of labor in many Ugandan rural and farming systems is that men concentrate on livestock and high-value crops farming, while women are involved in food crop subsistence farming. When the proposed road improvements are implemented, the women and men will equally benefit through improved employment opportunities and better access to markets as well as other social and economic facilities.

GEBREMEDHIN Dawit - OITC2

Finance source	Amount
ADF	UAC 80,000,000
Government	UAC 30,270,000
Total	UAC 110,270,000