The World Bank has approved financing for the Roads and Bridges in the Refugee Hosting Districts/Koboko-Yumbe-Moyo Road Corridor Project (KYM project), which was announced on September 20, 2020. The KYM project is fully funded by a grant of $130.8 million from the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) Window for Host Communities and Refugees (WHR). This marks the first road project worldwide to be financed through the WHR.
The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) is implementing this project on behalf of the Government of Uganda (GoU). The primary objectives of this project are to enhance road transport connectivity in select refugee-hosting districts of Uganda and improve UNRA's capacity to manage environmental, social, and road safety risks.
The KYM project comprises four components: road upgrading works, institutional strengthening, road safety, and contingent emergency response. Upon completion, it will provide improved transport connectivity for nearly one million Ugandans and over 360,000 refugees they host. This will improve livelihoods by enhancing access to markets, creating job opportunities, improving access to social services, and boosting private sector investment.
To date, about 92% of those affected by the project have been compensated and nearly 90% of the right-of-way has been acquired. Contracts for civil works and consultant services were signed on March 14th and March 24th respectively. A six-month-long value engineering exercise under the design review phase will now be undertaken in a phased manner to allow work to start on sections already reviewed.
Procurement for goods, works, consulting services, and non-consulting services are governed by World Bank's "Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers" as well as "Guidelines on Preventing and Combating Fraud and Corruption in Projects Financed by IBRD Loans and IDA Credits and Grants". All procurement-related complaints are submitted to the borrower (GoU/UNRA) and resolved within the time limits provided by World Bank Procurement Regulations.
The project is operating a Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) and has established more than 100 community-based Grievance Redress Committees (GRCs) along the road corridor. The GRM allows stakeholders to register grievances, concerns, suggestions, inquiries, and complaints at multiple locations.
Information on the KYM project is publicly available on the World Bank’s project web page. The World Bank remains committed to achieving the project's objectives and will continue to provide implementation support to UNRA for its timely completion.