President Yoweri Museveni has urged the people of Acholi and Gulu municipality in particular to exploit the developed infrastructure in place to improve their incomes by engaging in money generating activities so that they are able to meet their economic demands.
“Government has developed for you these roads. These are for all the people. You are not going to bring your mattresses at night to sleep on these roads, but you can use them to improve your livelihoods in your homes. That’s why we want all households to engage in modern agro production for money “he said.
The President yesterday launched the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development Program (USMID) roads under the Ministry of Lands and Urban Development in Gulu town aimed at improving service delivery.
Gulu Municipality has undertaken rehabilitation of 30 roads within the Municipality totaling to 17.452 Km. The Gulu Municipal Local government project cost UGX 87.275billion and included features such as first class asphalt concentrate pavements, drainage channels, pedestrian walkways, parking slots, cycle lanes, solar street lighting, service ducts, road furniture (markings & signs), and trash cans.
The roads include; Ring Road 1.640km, Alokolum Road 0.648, Labour Line Road 0.331km, Acholi Lane 0.608km, Cemetery Road 0.408km, drainage work along Jokodino Ocaya Road off-Ring Road 0.9km, Kabalega Road 0.160km, Adonga Road 0.334km, Crane Avenue 0.195km, Phillip Tarner Road 0.266km, Odur Min Odyek Road 0.336km, Commercial Road 0.364km, School Road 0.355km, Savatore Olwoch Road 0.672km, Walter Opwonya Road 0.670km, Muroni Road 0.694km, Lumumba Avenue 0.250km, Lango Road 0.226km, Sir Samuel Baker Road 1.280km, Brother Ruben Road 0.625km, Hassan Mitchel Road 0.540km, Laroo Road 2.49km, Alex Ojera Road 0.600km, Tank Road 0.270km, Dr. Onekalit Road 0.275km, Lasto Oketch Road 0.500km, Golf Course Road 0.450km, Nyerere Avenue 0.940km, Odida Road 0.240km, Timothy Okwera Road 0.250km and Peter Paul Opok Road 0.880km.
Gulu Municipality covers an area of 55 sq. km and has an estimated population of 154,400 people. It is the major town in Uganda’s Northern Region and lies approximately 335 km from the Country’s capital city, Kampala.
Under the Program, Government transferred a total of UGX 397.7 billion to the 14 municipalities of Arua, Lira, Tororo, Moroto, Soroti, Mbale, Hoima, Fort Portal, Entebbe, Kabale, Masaka, Mbarara and Jinja.
President Museveni is in Acholi sub region to promote the jobs and wealth creation campaign aimed at fighting household poverty and improve livelihoods at the grassroots.
He urged the Ugandans to engage in cost effective enterprises under the four sectors of the economy that include modern agro production, services, industry and ICT among others.
The Deputy Mayor of Gulu Municipality Ms. Pauline Lukwayi commended President Museveni for the numerous infrastructure developments in the city. She said the project has attracted a number of initiatives such as construction of a modern market for about 4500 vendors, a multibillion structure for Gulu university and water sanitation services among others.
During his working tour of Gulu city, the President made a stop over a youth led initiative – Inspire Africa Coffee shop, an enterprise that empowers young people by providing a platform for social economic transformation.
President Museveni commended the Chief Executive Africa coffee for what he termed as ‘waking up’ adding that Africa is very rich but has been lagging behind because people have been sleeping.
The Chief Executive officer Inspire Africa Coffee, Nelson Tugume said the initiative aims at promoting domestic coffee consumption as well as managing the whole value chain from crop to cup.