President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has announced another mega project of constructing connecting roads from Uganda to the Central African Republic (CAR) to promote trade and regional integration.
In his speech at the 62nd Independence Day celebrations at Busikho Primary Teachers’ College in Masafu Town Council, Busia district in presence of thePresident of the CAR, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, Museveni said he is going to persuade his counterparts in the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan to support this project by clearing the routes for the direct roads to Central African Republic.
He says by starting with the roads, East Africa will be linked by road and at the same time directed the Uganda Airlines and the Uganda Air Cargo Corporation to explore the possibility of introducing flights to Bangui, the capital of CAR.
This is not the first time for Uganda to engage in such big projects, in 2021 President Museveni directed the launch of a road-building project in neighbouring DR Congo aimed at boosting trade between the two countries.
The 223 km (138 miles) of roads, awarded to Dott Services Limited, a Ugandan construction firm, opened the connection of Uganda to the eastern DR Congo cities of Beni, Goma and Butembo.
Riding on the theme; “A Recommitment to Secure and Fortify Our Destiny”, Museveni said Uganda under the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Government has demystified the concentration on only the traditional 3Cs of Coffee, Cotton and Copper and the 3Ts of Tobacco, Tea and Tourism for the country’s earnings in a raw form to now value addition that has seen Uganda earning reasonably big from milk and coffee.
He says systematic support and development of the industrial and service sectors is also helping in bridging the unemployment gap and leading to technological transfer and development like Uganda’s breakthrough in the Automobile sector with the Kiira Motors Corporation.
Uganda’s mission in infrastructural development like roads, railway and water, Museveni said is linked to supporting people’s opportunities to economically transform themselves through the use of Government programs like the Parish Development Model among others to get out of poverty.
He reiterated the importance of African economic and political integration by African leaders and all Pan-Africanists in regards to two historic missions that is; prosperity for the African people and strategic security.
Museveni also credited the First Son now the Chief of Defense Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba for changing the custom of the parade of the day which he called rationalizing the parade from the old system that exhausted the officers who normally comprise of officers from the UPDF, Uganda Police Force, Uganda Prisons Services and the Reserve Forces.
He gave out 40 national award medals to distinguished Ugandans of which five were female and 35 male.
Thirty of the awardees received the National Independence Diamond Jubilee Medal, three took the Luweero Triangle Medal, one got the Masaba Medal, four got the Police Long Service Gold Medal, one was awarded the Police Personal Sacrifice Medal and another the Police Meritorious Medal.
In preparation of the celebrations, the Office of the President signed a memorandum of understanding with Bazungu e.V, a German Non-Governmental Organization, to offer eye care services to the communities around the celebrations venue, at Masafu General Hospital from September 23rd to 27th, 2024.
Some 1,005 people received medical attention; 300 of them diagnosed with mature cataracts and 105 presenting with other eye defects, while 700 eye glasses were distributed. Those deserving surgeries will be attended to at Bukedea Eye Medical Clinic this month of October 2024.
By Francis Jjunju
9th Oct 2024
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