Authorities want road pledged by Museveni tarmacked ahead of PDM
This photo taken on September 14, 2022, shows a section of the Fort Portal-Kijura Road that President Museveni pledged to construct in 2012. PHOTO/ALEX ASHABA
What you need to know:
The road has not been tarmacked despite mentions in all Presidential campaign pledges since 2012.
It’s now 10 years since President Museveni pledged tarmacking the 30-kilometre Fort Portal-Kijura Road. The road almost becomes impassable with current heavy rains in the area.
Kabarole District chairman Mr Richard Rwabuhinga said Mr Museveni first pledged the road on September 29, 2012 as he commissioned the Kabarole District headquarters at Kitumba.
Mr Rwabuhinga said Mr Museveni, again in 2013, vowed to tarmac the road while meeting district leaders from the Rwenzori Region at his country home in Rwakitura, .
“The road has not been tarmacked despite appearing in all presidential campaigns since including in 2021 when it was in the ruling NRM party manifesto,” he observed.
The said road connects two districts of Kabarole and Kyenjojo and it links three tea factories and tea plantations in Kabarole District. The road also connects to other tea factories in neighbouring Kyenjojo District.
Mr Rwabuhinga said if the road is tarmacked, it will improve on the revenue because the road has a lot of road traffic especially for cars that take tea to factories.
“We are implementing the Parish Development Model (PDM) and if we are to increase production and access to the market, we need to work on this road or we shall lose local revenue,” he said.
Kijura Town Council resident Mr James Baguma said it’s unfortunate for government to fail to fulfil its pledge for ten years.
“During the dry season the road is dusty and hard to navigate during rainy seasons. Transport fares even double as most boda boda rider’s fear coming to Kijura from Fort Portal because of dust,” he explained.
Kabende Sub County native Ms Anent Kabugabe said the road’s sorry state leads to commodity price fluctuation.
“I get a boda boda rider to take my irish potatoes to the market in Fort Portal at more than Shs20, 000 because the road is always full of potholes with water in rainy seasons,” she told Monitor on September 19.
The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) spokesperson, Mr Allan Ssempebwa, said: “The road has been committed by government for construction, what is pending is funding for design and eventual construction.”
