Speaker Oboth Directs Expedited Work on Lumino-Mulwanda Road

Speaker of Parliament Jacob Marksons Oboth has called for an accelerated completion of the Lumino-Mulwanda road project in Busia District. The directive, issued during a thanksgiving ceremony for State Minister for Transport Julius Wandera Maganda, emphasizes the critical need to improve road infrastructure for cross-border trade and connectivity between Uganda and Kenya.

Mr. Oboth specifically urged the Ministry of Works and Transport to expedite the tarmacking process, a call that was met with significant approval from the local residents present. The road project is also poised to pave the way for a new, officially recognized border crossing between the two East African nations.

Leaders from both Uganda and Kenya highlighted the importance of the road. Retired Principal Judge James Ogoola encouraged Minister Maganda to leverage his position to champion the project and the subsequent opening of the Mulwanda border post. Paul Nyongesa Otuoma, the governor of Busia County in Kenya, underscored the close ties between the two countries and stressed that completing the road would not only bolster trade but also strengthen cultural connections among the Samia people.

Kenyan officials confirmed that their government has already completed road construction up to Mulwanda on their side, urging Uganda to match their efforts. Wilberforce Oundo Mudenyo, the Funyula MP, noted that Kenya has secured funding for its portion of the project and encouraged Uganda to do the same. The ongoing joint boundary surveys by Ugandan and Kenyan departments were also welcomed as a crucial step towards establishing the new crossing.

In addition to the roadworks, Minister Maganda shared his plans to boost the local economy through agricultural initiatives, including supporting coffee and cocoa farming on a large scale and promoting poultry farming with a new hatchery to empower women in his constituency.