Uganda Roads Agency Closes as Government Takes Over.
Uganda's road agency closed on Monday. The former head, Allen Kagina, gave back all the office keys and tools to the government.
The move marks the end of the Uganda National Roads Authority. From here on, the Works and Transport Ministry will handle all road matters in the country.
State Minister Musa Ecweru met with Kagina and other leaders for the handover at the ministry building in Kampala, the capital city.
President Museveni pushed hard for this change. He called the road agency and others like it "parasitic." He said they wasted money that could help the public.
At first, lawmakers fought against the plan. They said the roads agency did good work, but they worried about who would take care of Uganda's many roads. The country needs good roads since it is far from any ocean ports.
But the president stood firm. He signed a new law in December that closed the agency for good. The law puts all road work under direct government control.
The change fits into a bigger plan. The government wants to cut costs by merging different offices. They hope this will save money and improve efficiency.
The road agency staff won't lose their jobs right away. The most important workers can stay for three more months. This keeps road projects going and keeps weighbridges working. The ferry boats will keep running.
Parliament had praised the roads agency's past work, saying it helped Uganda grow and move forward. But times have changed. The government thinks one office can do the job better than many small ones.
The shift puts roads under new leaders. The Department of National Roads will step up to handle what the old agency once did. Uganda starts fresh with a new way to build and fix its roads.
Uganda's road agency closed on Monday. The former head, Allen Kagina, gave back all the office keys and tools to the government.
The move marks the end of the Uganda National Roads Authority. From here on, the Works and Transport Ministry will handle all road matters in the country.
State Minister Musa Ecweru met with Kagina and other leaders for the handover at the ministry building in Kampala, the capital city.
President Museveni pushed hard for this change. He called the road agency and others like it "parasitic." He said they wasted money that could help the public.
At first, lawmakers fought against the plan. They said the roads agency did good work, but they worried about who would take care of Uganda's many roads. The country needs good roads since it is far from any ocean ports.
But the president stood firm. He signed a new law in December that closed the agency for good. The law puts all road work under direct government control.
The change fits into a bigger plan. The government wants to cut costs by merging different offices. They hope this will save money and improve efficiency.
The road agency staff won't lose their jobs right away. The most important workers can stay for three more months. This keeps road projects going and keeps weighbridges working. The ferry boats will keep running.
Parliament had praised the roads agency's past work, saying it helped Uganda grow and move forward. But times have changed. The government thinks one office can do the job better than many small ones.
The shift puts roads under new leaders. The Department of National Roads will step up to handle what the old agency once did. Uganda starts fresh with a new way to build and fix its roads.
