Government has cleared a Shs249 billion contract for the construction of the Mbarara-Ishaka Road, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has announced.
Tayebwa said the contract had been cleared by the Solicitor General and that China Railway 18th Group would undertake the project.
He made the remarks on Tuesday during the burial of former Gender Ministry pioneer Edna Kentaro Kaisho Baryaruha in Bushenyi.
‘People have talked a lot about the Mbarara-Ishaka road and I can assure you that the contract has been cleared by the Solicitor General and the China Railway 18th Group will be working on the road,’ Tayebwa said.
He said government was also working on the Mbarara-Ibanda road, while the Mitooma-Rukungiri road would be considered later because many other roads also require attention.
Tayebwa also announced two major industrial projects for Ankole. An industrial hub will be established on 70 acres provided by Bushenyi District in Kyeizooba, while a five-square-mile industrial park for food processing will be developed in Ruhengyere.
He said the projects were intended to create employment opportunities for young people who have been demanding government jobs.
On the tea sector, Tayebwa said government would remove Shs39 billion in taxes affecting tea farmers in Bushenyi.
He also criticised the management of some tea factories, accusing them of paying shareholders to vote for them as directors despite the positions being voluntary.
Tayebwa said government had increased the health budget from Shs1 trillion to Shs2.7 trillion and was expanding specialised healthcare services.
He said Uganda records between 34,000 and 36,000 new cancer cases annually, with about 85 per cent coming from outside Kampala.
Government plans to establish five regional cancer centres with at least 80 beds each. The Gulu centre is already operational, while centres in Mbale and Arua are under construction. The Mbarara centre requires a Shs39 billion loan, which Tayebwa said must be approved by Parliament.
He added that government was constructing a 250-bed Heart Institute in Naguru and was working to elevate Kitagata Hospital to a regional referral facility for Greater Bushenyi. Plans are also underway to expand Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital to a level comparable to Mulago National Referral Hospital.
The deceased’s son, Marvin Baryaruha, described his mother as patriotic, incorruptible and a strict disciplinarian who strongly believed in her children.
He said the family went into exile several times in Kenya and Morocco before returning to Uganda during the term of former President Yusuf Lule, when his father, the late Azarias Baryaruha, was appointed a minister.
Marvin also spoke about his mother’s long illness, saying she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 and underwent surgery in 2018. He said she later lost three siblings in one month in 2020 and her husband in 2021, events that affected her health.
He said his mother fell during an evening walk three weeks before her death and later lost her appetite. She was admitted to Nsambya Hospital’s intensive care unit before being referred to Nakasero Hospital because of limited ventilators.
Marvin criticised the handling of her treatment and called for improvements in the health sector. He thanked President Museveni for financially supporting his mother during her illness and asked him to continue supporting her children.
Bushenyi District Woman MP Annet Katusiime Mugisha described Baryaruha as an important contributor to the Gender Ministry, particularly in promoting women’s emancipation, development programmes and the welfare of the girl child.
She also said government had started projects in Bushenyi, including the PIBID banana project in Nyaruziinga and an irrigation project expected to benefit 100 people in its first phase and more than 300 in the next phase.
She appealed to government to increase funding for roads in the district ahead of the rainy season.
Edna Kentaro Baryaruha served as Uganda’s first Director of Gender and was the widow of former Industry Minister Azarias Ndiira Baryaruha.