President Yoweri Museveni has vowed that those involved in stealing the money that was meant for the construction of the 74 km long Mukono - Katosi Road in Mukono district, will have to return it. He launched the construction works of that road in July this year. The road had been put at Shs.165 billion to build.
“Uganda has Shs.1.9 trillion for road fund. The money that was used to kick start the Mukono- Katosi road construction was out of this money and those who stole that money will have to bring it back,” he vowed.
A Chinese company - CICO - was sub contracted by a phony company, Eutaw, which was the principle contractor to tarmac the Mukono - Katosi road. Uganda National Road Authority had paid Shs. 24 billion in advance to a dubious road construction firm that has since vanished in thin air.
The President also disclosed that the Government of Uganda will purchase over 1,000 road equipment from Japan. The equipment, according to the President will be given to all districts in the country in order to enhance efforts geared towards road maintenance in districts.
He called on district leaders throughout the country to use the equipment to maintain roads that are currently under the docket of the Uganda National Road Authority (UNRA) in the districts and those that are under the districts.
The President was yesterday addressing a meeting of different categories of leaders from all the districts comprising South Western and Western Regions of Uganda at State House Entebbe. The meeting was also attended by the 2ND Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Service Mr. Henry Muganwa Kajura and Ministers.
The President also told the meeting that salaries of councilors and lecturers in tertiary institutions and emoluments for cultural institutions in the next financial year increase salaries for the Councilors, Cultural leaders and Tertiary Institution lectures.
Mr. Museveni told the meeting that the National Resistance Movement (NRM) stands for socio-economic transformation of the country to ensure that all Ugandans eliminate household poverty. He observed that many families in rural Uganda are still stuck in none monetary, traditional mode of production where there is no surplus for selling in markets to earn some money. He said education, commercial production and infrastructure development are some of the key factors of socio-economic transformation. He also stressed the crucial role played by internal, regional and international markets in contributing to the welfare of the people of Uganda individually and the country as a whole.
The President warned Ugandans against sectarianism and encouraged them to cultivate and nurture nationalism and patriotism.
Regarding the importance of national security and stability, President Museveni said that the defeat of Joseph Kony’s LRA and the recovery of 40,000 guns from Karimojong cattle rustlers through the disarmament process in the Karamoja Sub-region, were some of the great achievements by the NRM government in the restoration of peace in Uganda.
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