Rukungiri–Kihihi–Ishasha–Kanungu Road is a road in southwestern Uganda, connecting the town of

Rukungiri Rukungiri is a town in Rukungiri District of the Western Region of Uganda. It is the site of the district headquarters. Location Rukungiri is approximately , by road, north of Kabale, the largest city in the Kigezi sub-region. This is about , ...

Rukungiri District Rukungiri District is a district in the Western Region of Uganda. The town of Rukungiri is the site of the district headquarters. Location The district is bordered by Lake Edward to the North West, Rubirizi District to the northeast, Mitooma Dis ...

and the town of Ishasha in

Kanungu District Kanungu District is a district in the Western Region of Uganda. The town of Kanungu is the site of the district headquarters. The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Kanungu District is among the sites shown in aerial footage in the movie Black Pant ...

, at the International border between

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

and the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

. A spur of the road runs south from

Kihihi Kihihi, also spelt Kihiihi, is a town in Southwestern Uganda. It is the second-largest metropolitan area in Kanungu District, after Kanungu, where the district headquarters are located. Location Kihihi is located approximately , by road, northwe ...

Kanungu Kanungu is a town in the Western Region of Uganda. It is the location of the district headquarters for Kanungu District. Location Kanungu is located approximately , on a winding dirt road, southwest of the town of Rukungiri, the nearest large ...

Location

The Rukungiri–Kihihi–Ishasha–Kanungu Road starts at Rukungiri, running in a general westward direction. It passes through Kihihi, ending at Ishasha, at the border with DRCongo. A spur of the road runs in a general southern direction from Kihihi to Kanungu. The entire road distance is approximately with the Rukungiri–Ishasha section measuring and the Kihihi–Kanungu section measuring . The coordinates of the road near Kihihi in Kanungu District are:0°44'56.0"S, 29°41'53.0"E (Latitude:-0.748889; Longitude:29.698056).

Conversion to bitumen surface

The road, whose total length is , is presently made of unsealed gravel surface. In 2014, the government of Uganda obtained a US$109 million loan to upgrade this and other roads to bituminous surface. As of November 2014, procurement for a contractor was ongoing.

Landmarks

The following landmarks lie close or near the Rukungiri–Kihihi–Ishasha–Kanungu Road: * The town of

in Rukungiri District, the location of the district headquarters. * The town of

in Kanungu District. * The town of Ishasha, at the International border with DRCongo. *

Queen Elizabeth National Park Queen Elizabeth National Park is a national park in Uganda. Location Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP) is in the Western Region of Uganda, spanning the districts of Kasese, Kamwenge, Rubirizi, and Rukungiri. The park is approximately by ro ...

. The road forms the southern border of the park, in the section between Kihihi and Ishasha. * The southern spur ends at

, the location of the headquarters of Kanungu District.

Construction

The construction contract was awarded to China Henan International Construction Company (CHICO), at a contract price of USh:207,834,646,967 (approx. US$57 million). The supervising engineering contract was awarded to SMEC International Pty Limited of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The civil works contract was signed on 17 September 2018. Permission to start work was given on 5 November 2018. Completion is expected during the first quarter of 2022. The project is co-funded by the

African Development Bank The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) or (BAD) is a multilateral development finance institution headquartered in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, since September 2014. The AfDB is a financial provider to African governments and private companies i ...

and the

Government of Uganda Uganda is a presidential republic in which the President of Uganda is the head of state and the prime minister is the head of government business. There is a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is ...

. As of 20 May 2021, progress of work was estimated at 41.16 percent, according to the Uganda National Roads Authority. Completion is still anticipated during the first half of 2022.

References

External links