23 December 2015•Update: 23 December 2015
By Halima Athumani
KAMPALA, Uganda
The government of Uganda will try to restart a $265 million World Bank road construction project that was cancelled on Monday due to issues including sexual abuse of children, and social and environmental issues.
In a statement this afternoon, Allen Kagina, executive director of the Uganda National Roads Authority said: “The government is committed to protecting the rights of children, women and workers and ensuring that all environmental issues related to the upgrading of the road are expeditiously resolved.”
On Monday, the World Bank issued a statement by bank Group President Jim Yong Kim announcing the cancellation of funding to the Uganda Transport Sector Development Project due to contractual breaches related to workers’ issues, social and environmental concerns, poor project performance, and serious allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse by contractors.
On Sept. 28, 2015, a request for Inspection was registered by the Inspection Panel, an independent complaints mechanism for people and communities who believe that they have been, or are likely to be, adversely affected by a World Bank-funded project.
The request concerned complaints received from the Bigodi and Nyabubale-Nkingo communities located along the Kamwenge to Fort Portal Road in Western Uganda.
The request contained numerous allegations of adverse environmental and social impacts stemming from the project’s construction, including impacts on road safety, compensation for land acquisition, as well as serious allegations of sexual harassment of female employees.
On Oct. 22, the bank suspended the financing for the project. After further review, and after the government of Uganda and the government contractor did not take corrective steps, bank management on Dec.17 decided to cancel the project.
Kagina acknowledges that the project was troubled. “The project has experienced a number of challenges related to works performance, environmental issues, workers protection and child and gender related matters,” the statement said.
But, according to Kagina: “Some of the issues have been resolved while others are still pending resolution.” But the government remains committed to successful completion of the road, and is putting in place measures to ensure continuity of the road works,” the statement said.
