SWEARING IN SUPPLEMENT138 NEW VISION, Thursday, May 12, 2016
THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA
WORKS AND TRANSPORT SECTOR
With the vast majority (95%) of cargo freight and passengers moving by road, road transport remains the core mode of transport. The country’s road network falls into four main categories: national, district, urban and community access roads.
4.1 National Roads4.1.1 Roads completed or substantially completed
The following roads have been completed as of December 2015; a) Matugga-Semuto-Kapeeka (41km)b) Gayaza-Zirobwe (30km)c) Kabale-Kisoro-Bunagana/Kyanika (101km)d) Fort Portal-Bundibugyo-Lamia (103km)e) Busega-Mityana (57km)f) Kampala-Kalerwe (1.5km)g) Kalerwe-Gayaza (13km)h) Bugiri-Malaba/Busia (82km)i) Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara (416km)j) Mbarara-Ntungamo-Katuna (124km)*
The following roads have been substantially completed;a) Gulu-Atiak-(74km)b) Hoima-Kaiso-Tonya (92km)c) Jinja- Mukono (52km)d) Jinja-Kamuli (58km)e) Kawempe-Kafu (166km)f) Mbarara- Kikagati-Murongo Bridge (74km)g) Nyakahita-Kazo-Ibanda-Kamwenge (143km)h) Tororo-Mbale-Soroti (152km)i) Vurra-Arua-Koboko- Oraba (92km)
j) Atiak-Nimule (35km)k) Kafu-Kiryandongo (43km) l) Kamdini-Gulu (62km)m) Kiryandongo-Karuma-Kamdini (59km)
4.1.2 Construction of the following roads are planned to commence FY 2015/2016
No Road Project Statusa) Hoima-Wanseko (111km) Tenderingb) Rwekunye-Apac-Lira-Acholibur (243km) Tenderingc) Soroti-Katakwi-Moroto-Lokitanyala (208km) Tenderingd) Mubende-Kagadi-Ndaiga (140km) Construction
Ongoing e) Lira-Kamdini (66km) Tenderingf) Road Project
Dualling Kibuye-Busega-Mpigi (33km)StatusProject Appraisal
g) Kampala-Jinja Express way (77km) and Kampala Southern By-pass (18km)
Project Appraisal
h) Masaka-Bukakata (41km) Re-tenderingi) Kyenjojo-Hoima-Masindi-Kigumba (238km) Tenderingj) Tirinyi-Pallisa-Kumi/Pallisa-Mbale (111km) Tenderingk) Mbale-Bubulo-Magale/Lwakhakha (45km) Tenderingl) Rukungiri-Kihihi-Ishasha/Kanungu (78km) Tenderingm) Kapchorwa-Suam (77km) Tenderingn) Muyembe-Nakapiripirit (92km) Tenderingo) Buhuka-Kabwoya (43km) Project Formulationp) Ntoroko-Karugutu (53km) Project Formulationq) Mbale-Nkokonjeru (21km) Project Formulationr) Luuku-Kalangala (60km) phase II Project Formulation
Total
4. ROAD SUBSECTOR
2. INLAND WATER TRANSPORTAbout 18% of Uganda’s total surface area is covered by water. Most of the main water bodies are navigable and are used by motorised and non-motorised vessels. In addition, rail wagon ferries connect with rail networks in Mwanza (Tanzania) and Kisumu (Kenya), through Port Bell on Lake Victoria.
Prior to the 2005 accident involving MV Kaawa and MV Kabalega, in which the MV Kabalega sank, Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) operated three wagon ferries which served as a cheaper alternative means of transporting goods into the country. The MV Kaawa has since been rehabilitated and was re-commissioned in August 2012. The vessel is now operated by Rift Valley Railways as part of the Concession Agreement signed with Government.
Conventional water transport passenger services are provided by one Government owned vessel, MV Kalangala, and two other passenger service vessels operated by the private sector namely: MV Pearl and MV Amani. However, there are numerous small craft operating on inland waterways in Uganda whose safety standards are known to be well below
what is expected. The Ministry is in the process of developing standards for these vessels to ensure their safety.
Plans for Inland water transport 2016-2021No. Planned Activitya) Construction and rehabilitation of the inland water landing sites
and their access roads/rail b) Improvement of water transport safety c) Modernise Port Bell and Jinja Portsd) Rehabilitate and upgrade MV Pamba and MV Mwangae) Undertake construction of a new port of Bukasa (Phase 1)1f) Build to new ship to replace MV Kabalegag) Undertake institutional reforms and establish a Maritime
Administration
Notes:2. Design and construction of landing sites of Ggaba-Lutembe and
Butebo is part of item (a).3. Improving navigation safety and security on water is part of item (b).
3. RAIL TRANSPORTThe Uganda rail transport system comprises 1,250 km of metre gauge track running from Malaba to Kampala (250km), Kampala to Kasese (344 km), Tororo to Pakwach (500 km), Busoga loop line (144 km) and the spur lines to Jinja and Port Bell Ferry terminals (12 km).
The system also includes ferry services on Lake Victoria connecting Port Bell and/or Jinja to rail networks in Tanzania at Mwanza and in Kenya at Kisumu.
The operational length of the track is now 705 km and includes the 250 km Kampala-Malaba “main Line” section, the 55 km Tororo-Mbale section of the Tororo-Pakwach line, the 9 km Kampala-Port Bell line, the 6 km Kampala-Nalukolongo section of the Kampala-Kasese line and the 385 km Mbale to Gulu line. This constitutes about 56% of the total network.
Improvement of railway transportGovernment is on course to revitalize the railway transport system in a wider context of a multi-modal transport plan. The fi rst aspect is rehabilitation of existing lines to improve safety, reliability and service delivery. The second aspect will be the development of modern high capacity railway transport system, the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR).
The technical standard improvements proposed for the new lines are as follows: · A wider track gauge i.e. Standard Gauge (1.435 m) instead of the existing
“narrow” Metre Gauge (1.000 m).· Substantially improved vertical alignment (grades < 1.2%) and horizontal
alignment (curvature > 1,200m radius).· Much higher operating speeds i.e. from the current (design) maximum of 56
to 120 kph.· More robust railway track to enable the operating of much heavier trains i.e.
from 15 to 25 tonne axle loading.· Longer crossing loops to enable the operating of much longer trains i.e. from
500 to 880 m.· Possibility of future operating of double-stack container wagons.· Possibility of future upgrading to electric traction.
Government has already issued timelines of SGR development with year 2018 as completion date.
Standard Gauge Project Process
Progress on the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project is as follows: i. Preliminary engineering design for the Eastern (Kampala-Malaba) route
was completed; ii. Preliminary engineering design for the Western (Kampala-Mirama Hills-
Kigali/Bihanga-Kasese-Mpondwe / Muko) and the Northern (Tororo-Gulu-Nimule/Gulu-Pakwach-Arua-Vurra) routes was substantially completed.
iii. Land for the construction of the Eastern Route (Kampala-Malaba) was gazzetted and acquisition is on-going.
iv. Feasibility study for the development of the Western route was started v. Feasibility study for development of the Greater Kampala Light Rail Transit
(LRT) system was signed with a Chinese construction fi rm in December 2015 and a feasibility study is being undertaken:
vi. The SGR Project Management Unit was established.
Other completed, On-Going and Planned Railway Projects
a) EATTFP - World Bank-funded Rehabilitation and Upgrading of Railway Wagon
Ferry MV Kaawa and Floating Dry Dock Rehabilitation and upgrading of the railway wagon ferry MV Kaawa and the
fl oating dry dock was completed on 09th August 2012 when the last sea trials took place. The ship was formally re-commissioned on 31st August 2012 after being reinstated into class and insured. Some further upgrading works recommended by the classifi cation society are being undertaken to bring the ship to current industry standards. However, the wagon ferry is yet to operate on Roll-On-Roll-Off (RORO) basis due to severe challenges of rolling stock and locomotive availability in RVR and Tanzania Railways Limited.
b) EATTFP- World Bank-funded Construction of a Rail Container Depot (ICD) at Mukono Railway Station (Phase 1) 98% of works have been completed. These include: hard stands, access roads and functional buildings.
c) Design of a New Multi-purpose Ship and remodelling of Port Bell and Jinja Pier
After initial stalling due to shortage of funds, the design study resumed during September 2013. Progress on this project has been slow because of poor cash fl ow.
d) KFW-funded Wagon Overhaul Project (Phase II) Procurement of the wagon spare parts worth a total of EUR 2.387 million by URC was substantially completed in January 2012 under a KfW grant. The rehabilitation of the 365 wagons is ongoing and by end of July 2014 over 361 wagons i.e. 99% had been completed.
e) Overhaul and Rehabilitation of Eight Diesel Locomotives. The overhaul and rehabilitation of eight locomotives at an estimated cost
of USD 3.7 million was approved by URC in May 2012 and was supposed to have started in October 2012. However, the project is yet to get off the ground due longer-than-expected lead times and other internal challenges. This has severely hampered the much anticipated improvement in locomotive availability and reliability and hence overall contribution to better freight carriage fi gures.
f) Acquisition of Four Used Diesel Locomotives RVR plans to purchase four high capacity 2800HP GE diesel-electric
locomotives. g) Rehabilitation of the Tororo - Pakwach Railway Line (500 km)
As stated earlier, RVR has embarked on the rehabilitation of the closed Tororo - Pakwach railway line. Part of the line Tororo – Gulu was offi cially re-opened in September 2013. The rest of the line from Gulu – Pakwach is yet to be fi nished and the delay is due to reinstatement of fi ve level crossings that had been removed during the construction of Karuma – Pakwach road.
Railway Transport Plans 2016-2021
During the period 2016-2021, rail transport development will mainly focus on Standard Gauge Railway network. The SGR will be developed in Phases starting with the Eastern Route and LRT in GKMA during 2016-2021 .
For the Eastern line, Preliminary Engineering Design and Bankable Feasibility Study have been completed. An EPC/Turnkey contract was signed with the Contractor (CHEC) in March 2015. The Loan application has been submitted to Exim Bank of China and Loan negotiations are expected to start in April 2016. Land survey and property valuation is on-going. Construction is expected to begin in July 2016 and be completed in December 2020.
For LRT in GKMA, a total of 240km will be developed in the GKMA. Government signed an MOU with a Contractor (CCECC) in December 2015 for Bankable
Feasibility Studies and Master Plan which are on-going (near completion). The LRT in GKMA will also be implemented in Phases. Phase 1 will cover about 40 Km and the proposed routes namely; Kampala-Namanve, Kampala-Kajansi, Kampala-Kyengera, and Kampala-Tula (Kawempe) will be operational by 2020.
For the Northern and Western/S.Western routes, Government signed EPC/Turnkey contract with CHEC and an MOU with CCECC respectively. Preliminary Engineering Designs and Bankable Feasibility Studies are on-going.
No. Planned Activity1 Eastern SGR Line from Malaba to Kampala through Tororo, Busembatia,
lganga, Jinja, Kowolo and Mukono (273km)2 Develop the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Light Rail Mass Transit
System3 Northern SGR Line from Tororo to Nimule through Mbale, Kumi, Soroti,
Lira, Gulu and Atiak with a spur from Gulu to Vurra (Arua) through Pakwach (761km)
4 Western SGR Line from Kampala to Mpondwe (at the DR Congo border) through Mityana, Kamwenge and Kasese
5 Southern SGR Line from Bihanga to Mirama Hills (at the Rwanda border) through Mbarara and Ntungamo with a branch to Muko
An artistic impression of SGR at Kanya Uganda baorder
Kabale - Kisoro completed in September 2012
