Kikuube residents pick tools to repair road
KIKUUBE– Residents of Kikuube district have resorted to community work [Bulungibwasi] following the failure of the district local government to rehabilitate the impassable roads in the area.
The residents of Nyarugabu Parish in Bugambe Sub-county have been complaining for many years about the poor state Kyakabale-Kitondora -Kiryamba –Muhwiju road.
The 10km road is a major route for business, education, and health services connecting the communities to Hoima- fort road which leads to Hoima city and Kikuube district headquarters.
The road also connects, Kimporopyo, Kigagama, Kinjenga, Kyamuryanga, Kitondora, Kiryamba, Nyarugabu and Kyakabale villages among others.
Paul Ssekanabo, also a resident of Kiryamba villages explained that the road which was opened 10 years ago has been in a poor state for all these years without being rehabilitated.
According to the residents, they have complained to the Kikuube district leaders to intervene but they have turned deaf ears to their plight.
After getting tired of the situation, over the weekend, the locals mobilised themselves and engaged in Community work and repaired part of the road and also filled up several potholes using hoes, pangas, and shovels among other rudimentary tools.
According to the residents, they petitioned the area leaders who supported them with lorries to transport soil and stones to fill up the potholed road.
They noted as residents they cannot keep watching accidents happening daily and people suffering from injuries.
He noted that they will be carrying out community works every Saturday until when all the poor spots on the road get filled up to ensure the safe movement of the people and their goods.
Yesero Arinaitwe, the LCII Chairperson of Nyarugabu Parish commended the residents for responding to the call to engage in community work instead of waiting upon the government.
He noted that the road was destroyed due to lack of drainage channels and culverts and challenged the government to provide them with culverts.
Arinaitwe said motorists have been forced to hike prices for their services due to the poor state of the road, which he said is hindering people to access social services such as schools, health centres, markets, and other social amenities.
Anent Asera, the district councilor for Bugambe Sub-county, explained that the road had turned into a death trap for expectant mothers and also a challenge to farmers whose produce could not reach market easily hence subjecting them to low prices.
She noted that the road had been budgeted for in the financial year 2020-2021 but the road was not worked on after the funds that were meant to rehabilitate the roads were diverted to fighting COVID-19.
However, she promised that as leaders, they are lobbying to see that the roads get considered in the new financial year 2022-2023, with the Finance Ministry organising to release the funds for the first quarter.
Kikuube district secretary for works, Evase Muguryeki called on the residents to remain calm, saying that the district has sourced Shs 25 million to rehabilitate the road.
She said that the money was provided in the supplementary budget, adding that it is going to be used for grading where potholes will be sealed to make the road usable by the communities.
https://thecooperator.news/unra-starts-maintenance-on-nebbi-goli-road-after-public-outcry/
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