In 2014, Longjian Road and Bridge Company Limited, a Chinese construction firm, won a contract to rebuild Yellowknife road and Kabula access road, in Masaka, an agricultural city in Southern Uganda (East Africa).
The two roads among several others plus buildings were left in ruins after bombings by the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces during the 1979 war that toppled Uganda’s former President Idi Amin Dada.
The roads had lived with huge potholes hampering access of farmers, exporters and produce trucks to the main town and central markets for 37 years.
However, when the opportunity came to rehabilitate the two roads, Longjian beat 13 other intercontinental corporations to undertake the two-phased road project funded by World Bank under the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID).
According to Godfrey Kayemba, the Masaka City Mayor, the $5.7 million deal was to reconnect the two roads from the city center to the major Northern Corridor highway, which connects directly to Mutukula, a Ugandan–Tanzanian border post.
The project, was further meant to create access of smallholder and large-scale farmers, produce trucks and exporters to the central markets. The construction works started later in 2016 and completed around October the same year.
“After presenting a fair quotation, we reviewed their profile and past projects and they were fit for the task. We actually needed durable roads that would accommodate the produce trucks that we expected to ply the two roads,” Kayemba noted.
He explained that the roads, among others, had been deserted by farmers and exporters since 1979 which affected the city’s revenue collection for several decades.
“We are an agricultural city that depends on farmers for revenue. But we would lose because the road was narrow, dusty and impassable due to huge potholes,” he recounted.
Godfrey Kayemba, Masaka City Mayor
According to Anthony Jjunju, a large-scale pineapple farmer in Kitengeesa village, the best alternative then was to park outside the town and wait for the buyers because they could not find a way to the markets.
He said that the situation attracted middlemen, who compromised their bargaining force, hence paying unfair prices for the pineapple. He added that produces would perish due to delayed access to the market.
But five years after, the roads’ contribution to farmers has been duly noted. Apart from easing access to the central markets, the livelihoods of banana, coffee, fruits, and vegetable farmers from Masaka Rakai, Kyotera, and other districts in the region, have all improved.
At least 40 produce trucks loaded with coffee, pineapple, sugarcane, milk, and livestock and enter the city through Yellowknife and leave through Kabula.
Kiyumbakimu village. Photo by Davis Buyondo.
Charles Matovu, a large-scale farmer in Kiyumbakimu village, Kagamba sub-county in Rakai district, harvests at least 300 bunches in a week from his 22-acre-banana plantation. He sells his bananas to Masaka city.
“I get different orders from produce exporters, who pay in advance and the vendors who pay upon delivery. I bring at least 150 bunches to the market twice a week,” he said.
Before the roads were rehabilitated, he added, he would meander through roads outside the city and still fail to make it to the main town.
Juliet Njagala, an organic farmer in Busense village, in Masaka district, has a 5-acre-banana plantation and three acres of coffee. Njagala explained that she uses Yellowknife and Kabula roads as a shortcut to the Masaka main market which saves her time.
“I sell a bunch (25kg) at USD3.45 and a bigger one at USD4.24. However, there is a time when the prices shoot up to USD6.63 especially during the prolonged dry spell,” she said.
Disan Muwanga is Director Buddu Banana Restoration, an association of organic farmers. He said the roads have since attracted several farmers who had opted out of the agro-business for lack of access to the markets.
Currently, he added, the high demand for different species of bananas including yellow bananas, sweet plantain, and sweet bananas has attracted several farmers to produce more in order to satisfy the demand.
“The only challenge in the meantime is the COVID19 lockdown which impeded the movements of customers. But still, we hope that normal operations will resume soon,” Muwanga said.
Local Agricultural Merchants Set Up New Roadside Markets
Different agro-business stalls have opened up along the two roads including different farmers’ associations.
These include Buddu Banana Restoration, Kibinge Coffee Farmers Cooperative Society Limited, Kasaali Farmers Cooperative Society, Apiary farmers’ associations and dairy farmers’ stalls. They have opened up offices or branches to receive produces for value addition and export.
The city mayor (Kayemba) noted that initially, they had 1000 market vendors in 2015, but the number increased to 1500. “As we speak, we have around 2000 produce vendors because of the farmers’ presence and access to the markets,” he said.
In addition to the Longjian road implementation, John Behangane, the Masaka city town clerk said there are other factors that have lured farmers from to the city. He mentioned the increasing processing factories for value addition, milk coolers, fair revenue, exporters, plus weekly produce markets.
Kampala is Happy With The Results
In May 2019, while commissioning the Isimba Hydroelectric Power Station, Uganda Prime Minister, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, said the Chinese companies had exhibited international standards in the construction sector adding that they will be entrusted with other projects.
He referred to Entebbe Express Highway, so far the most attractive road project in Uganda, the Kanoni-Gomba- Sembabule-Masaka road constructed by China Railway 3 Engineering Group to mention a few.
In July the same year, President Yoweri Museveni, toured several road projects. He was impressed by the quality standard of Yellowknife, and Kabula, among others. The head of state further commended Longjian Company and other contractors changing the face of the city.
Mr. Museveni said such wide roads increase the scope of profitable trade between farmers and vendors and exporters and further encourage higher agricultural productivity.
“I am impressed with the work done in Masaka. I pledge more support to ensure that our people especially farmers access the markets through good road networks” he said.
Davie Buyondo is a freelance journalist, audio producer and digital safety trainer currently based in Masaka city, Uganda’s Southern Region.
