Floods force residents to use road in restricted army facility

The management at the Luweero Industries Ltd, a subsidiary of the National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) under the Ministry of Defence, has tentatively allowed civilians in Nakasongola District to use one of the access roads through its facility.
This is after floods and heavy rain cut off sections of the Nakasongola-Kibuye-Zengebe road.

Mr Sam Kigula, the Nakasongola District chairperson, last week revealed that the army allowed locals to use the road following a meeting.
“When we held a meeting with the UPDF management at the Luweero Industries, they allowed residents to access the safer section of the Kibuye-Zengebe road through the army facility,” he said in an interview.

The roads that go through the UPDF facilities in Nakasongola District have restricted access to the civilian population for security reasons.
The district chairperson said sections of the Kibuye-Zengebe road that connects to Nakasongola Town were cut off by the floods and is currently in a poor shape.

“We are in contact with Uganda National Roads Authority to have the repairs made when the heavy rains stop,” he said.
Mr Saleh Kamba, the resident district commissioner, said UPDF will continue guiding the civilians that utilise the road through the Luweero Industries areas.
“We have had a big challenge in the roads infrastructure destroyed by the heavy rains. We also have a good working relationship with the UPDF leadership that resulted in the good gesture by the officers at the Luweero Industries,” he said .

The other roads washed away by the heavy rain and floods in the district include; the Molwe- Kibuye and Zengebe –Kafu. Mr Dan Bukenya, the district councillor representing Lwampanga Town Council, asked the government to avail extra funds to areas that are prone to floods.

“Some of the maintenance programmes undertaken by the government through Unra are poorly done and get washed away even when the rains are not heavy. Unra should adopt a different road design for areas that are prone to floods if we are to sustain the road infrastructure in Nakasongola,” he said. Mr Abas Ssenabulya, a taxi driver and resident of Lwampanga Town Council,  expressed worry that the UPDF could put restrictions on accessing the road at night.

“At times, the commuter taxis are delayed by the traffic jam in Kampala City and we get to Nakasongola beyond 8pm. We don’t know if the UPDF will allow us to use the road through the Luweero Industries at night,” he said,
“We only pray that the damaged road sections are repaired in time to avoid the inconveniences,” he added.