Bukedea County MP, Hon. David Beecham Okwere has challenged the government over what he described as the high cost of road construction in Uganda compared with neighbouring Rwanda and Kenya.
Speaking during a sitting of Parliament’s Committee on National Economy, Okwere also questioned the continued preference for foreign engineers and contractors despite the availability of Ugandan professionals.
He further raised concerns about the durability of some road projects, saying it was worrying that fresh works were being done only a few years after construction.
MPs were scrutinising the under-absorption of US$5.39 million in loan financing, with Okwere arguing that government should explain why Uganda continues to record relatively high construction costs, even as some completed roads deteriorate before delivering value over their expected lifespan.
He pointed to the Mbale-Soroti road through Bukedea, where fresh construction works are now underway after earlier works, and asked why foreign contractors are not retained to account for and maintain roads when defects emerge.
“What kind of courses have our own engineers done which is quite different from what the others have done?” Hon Okwere asked.
