Minister of works and transport John Mutorwa officiated the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Bukalo-Muyako-Ngoma and Sikanjabuka-Sizimbukwa low-volume seal standard roads on Monday.
He said the first phase of the government-funded road that is 10km from Bukalo to Tololi village will cost N$37 million.
The minister said the total length of these two roads is 75km.
“This phase will be constructed over a period of one year. It is important to share here that about 15% of the total contract price will be allocated to small and medium enterprise (SME) contractors. This is part of our government’s efforts to ensure that SME contractors are included in national projects to develop their capacity and offer them much-needed on-the-job training.
“Moreover, over 250 temporary jobs will be created during the construction period,” he said.
Mutorwa said local communities have called on the government to upgrade these roads for long, which is finally coming to fruition.
“It is no secret that the current gravel road is in poor condition, hence, once completed, the upgraded road will ensure all-weather accessibility to a large rural community in the area and to schools and clinics,” he said.
Roads Authority (RA) chief executive officer Conrad Lutombi said access roads to various schools, clinics, and other public facilities will be regravelled during phase one of construction.
He said phase two, which is 50km, will include Ngoma via Muyako, Ibbu, Mutikitila, and Loma.
“Phase two construction will start in the next financial year. Sizimbukwa–Sikanjabuka (15km) will also be included in phase two. The entire project is
expected to be completed in June 2028,” he said.
