Leaders in Kukuube district decry state of roads

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Summary:

  • Legislators here claim the district did not receive any funding from Uganda Road Fund and that a supplementary budget that was passed last year to have all districts with road unit is yet to be honoured in Kikuube now close to a year.


Residents of Buhimba Sub-county in Kikuube District have raised concern over the state of roads in their area, wondering if the government has forgotten them.

Legislators claim the district did not receive any funding from Uganda Road Fund and that a supplementary budget that was passed last year to have all districts with road unit is yet to be honoured in Kikuube.

Buhimba is one of the sub-counties that make up Kikuube District that besides being one of the highly populated most people here deal in farming though always inconvenienced by the state of roads.

For instance, the road from Kitole-Rwemparaki-Kigwango-Bujalya gravel road was last graded in 2007.

Buhimba subcounty chairman Justus Isingoma says the 5km stretch is impassable during rainy season.

“I want to tell you, this road is another problem my subcounty has had for quite some time, our soils here are slippery so when it rains, those with bicycles carry them while people motorists have to wait until the surface dries up and this has greatly affected movement since this area is a food basket for Kikuube,” Isingoma said.

The Ruhunga subcounty vice chairperson, Shauya Kiiza, spoke of an incident when a woman allegedly had to give birth on the roadside because she could not be transported to a health centre.

“I remember just recently on this hill close to Kitole, a woman gave birth by the road side, and many other women chose to deliver from home due to the hard times experienced on the road,” he said.

“Our prayer is if government can listen to our cry.”

The Buhaguzi East MP, Stephen Asera, said to make matters worse, the district did not receive funding from Uganda Road Fund, meaning that they hardly can work on any road yet most roads are in a sorry state.

“Sometimes I wonder, administrative units are created but services take long, our district desire the funds to work on the roads so urgently because our people are farmers who need to transport their produce,” Asera said

Isingoma  said that Buhimba subcounty normally receives Shs8 million, but this year only Shs6 million was availed.

“What can Shs6 million do on this roads that are in this horrible state?” he asked. “Our target is to open a few roads, one or two if funds allow.”

MP Asera wonders that early last year as parliament they passed a supplementary budget to have all districts given roads units starting with a grader and wheel loader but to his surprise Kikuube has not received the funds neither have equipment been delivered to the district.

“This beats my understanding, Parliament passes a budget for each district to have road units which is very essential to work on the roads but to-date the money has not been delivered to Kikuube. Where did this money really go, our people are suffering,” Asera said.

But Asera is one of the leaders expected to take the issue to Parliament and push for speedy works on the roads.

Kikuube is one of the Districts in Bunyoro region that is highly populated with most of its citizens engaged in farming though it continues to suffer poor service delivery.

Among the most affected areas with poor state of roads include Kibalaru, Kikoboza, Kikongo, Kyasimbwa Canani, Kasoha and Karimbi villages.

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