Members of the Rukungiri district roads committee have raised concerns about the Uganda National Roads Authority over the poor state of national roads within the area.
According to the committee chairperson who is also the Rukungiri Municipality area Member Of Parliament Hon. Dr. Elisa Rutahigwa, roads such as Kebisoni-Kisiizi, Rukungiri-Ntungamo Highway, Rukungiri-Kasoroza Rwerere road, Rukungiri-Kabira among others, are in a poor state, and UNRA is responsible for their maintenance.
Rukungiri Municipality and the district as a whole have deteriorating roads, but UNRA personnel, who are currently temporarily employed by the Ministry of Works and Transport, have refused to rectif the problem.
Rukungiri district roads committee raised these concerns yesterday Friday during their meeting held at Rukungiri district headquarters in Council hall.
The meeting was attended by the Rukungiri Municipality MP who is also the committee chairperson Hon. Dr. Elisa Rutahigwa, Rubabo County MP. Hon. Naboth Namanya, Rukungiri district chairperson LC5 Geoffrey Kyomukama, district and municipal engineers among other technical and political leaders.
Addressing the members, Dr. Rutahigwa said that UNRA roads in Rukungiri are in a despicable state and yet UNRA does not seem to be aware of them.
Rutahigwa went on to say that UNRA authorities paid no attention to the fact that the majority of these roadways have portholes, which pose a serious risk to people’s lives.
He revealed that they have been inviting UNRA Station manager Kabale to their meetings for almost the past four years so they may voice their concerns, but it has all been in vain.
Rutahigwa explained that as area members of Parliament, they must inform the minister of works and transport about the manager’s carelessness and request disciplinary action.
He asserted that as leaders, they will not stand by and watch while people perish due to the bad condition of the roads.
However, Dr. Rutahigwa noted that while the majority of district and municipal roads have been improved, the remaining ones will also be fixed.
Cue in……..HON RUTAHIGWA…..
In the same meeting, Rubabo County MP Hon. Namanya Naboth explained that the Station manager of UNRA Kabale, who is currently temporarily operate under the ministry of works and transport, should be fired so that the newly appointed leader can step in and address the problems affecting Rukungiri district.
Geoffrey Kyomukama, the Rukungiri district boss, revealed that many roads within his jurisdiction under the control of UNRA look like cattle tracks endangering people’s lives.
Kyomukama said that poor drainage is a very serious problem that causes severe road damage and yet this characterizes most of their roads and nothing is being done by UNRA.
Cu in……… LC5 KYOMUKAMA…………..
Our effort to get a comment from Station Manager UNRA was in vain since she couldn’t pick our numerous phone calls.
