DELAYED ROAD WORKS IRKS LIRA BUSINESSMEN

USMID PROJECT IN LIRA CITY Lira city business community have threatened to shut their businesses for two weeks in protest of the slow progress of the USMID roads project in Lira. They claim the project which has exceeded its original project time has disrupted businesses for over a year causing them huge losses. They issued a six-week ultimatum for the contractor to clear all roads within the city center for business to resume during festivity. Ambience A section of businessmen in Lira City led by the director of chambers of commerce for Northern Uganda Bosco Ogwang Edola have noted with concern the slow progress of the USMID project in the City. The 37Bn contract that was awarded to Al-Nuiami Group and Abubaker Technical Services ended in August after 15 months with only 41 percent of the work done. But after engaging with authorities, it was extended by another seven months. The aggrieved businessmen are worried that the volume of work left is much and that the disruption which has caused them huge losses over the year is not ending soon. They say besides losing out sales, some tenants have also fled the buildings while others are battling with loans in the bank. Pops They also asked for an intervention on a bridge on Olwol road which they say floods out whenever it rains. Freddie Owiny the City engineer and the project manager says the delays were unavoidable. He also explained the variations on boundary road. The contractor however, acknowledged the challenges and pledged to engage labor sub-contractors to deliver within the ultimatum period. The World Bank funded program of upgrading 3.5km of roads in Lira City under USMID was signed in April 2021 and was due to run for 15 months but the contractor delayed sparking off public outbursts over the quality and capacity to accomplish the task in time. FILED 9TH & RUN 10TH NOV, 2022