Mbale locals protest continued closure of city roads 

Residents and local leaders in Mbale City have protested the continued closure of Nabuyonga Rise and Mugisu Hill roads,  saying the move has increased traffic jam and accidents in the central business town. 
The roads were temporarily closed in October last year to allow rehabilitation.   
     
The works, contracted to Dott Services Ltd, were supposed to be completed within two months.
The affected roads, which are mainly used by heavy trucks, are among those that President Museveni commissioned in 2019. The others are Republic Street and Pallisa Road.

READ: Council asks contractor to speed up roadworks

“Since heavy trucks that were using those roads were diverted to Mbale-Soroti Highway, which goes through the central business area, there is a lot of jam and accidents,” Mr Apollo Walyaula, a resident of Namakwekwe, Northern City Division, said.
Ms Sarah Muduwa, a businesswoman at Mbale central market, said the closed roads have increased insecurity.
“It is now an area where criminals waylay people and rob them, especially at night because there is less activity on the road,” she said.

 Mr Abdallah Magambo, the Mbale City deputy speaker, said the contractor abandoned the works shortly after receiving the sites from the city authorities in October. 
“I have raised complaints about the insecurity in town resulting from the heavy traffic and urged the concerned authorities to expedite the rehabilitation works but in vain,” he said.
Mr David Wetaka, the president of City Development Forum, said the roads are closed to stop heavy trucks from causing further damage.

“We are getting rid of heavy trucks from using this road so that it does not escalate the damage since the rehabilitation works are not yet complete,” he said. The roads were built under the first phase of the Uganda Support to Municipality Infrastructure Development programme at Shs26b.
Plinth Technical Services Company Ltd constructed the roads but did not complete the works on schedule. 
Zhong Mei, a Chinese company, was in 2018 awarded the contract to complete the final works, which included construction of the drainage, pavement and installation of solar lights.
According to sources, Dott Services, which was contracted to do rehabilitation on the affected roads, diverted all its manpower to Naboa and Cathedral roads.

 The city spokesperson, Mr James Kutosi, confirmed to Daily Monitor that Dott diverted its manpower, adding that he is also not sure when the rehabilitation will be completed.
“The contractor is working on other roads but they are also going to work on those ones so that they are reopened,” he said.
However, an official from DOTT services, who preferred anonymity when contacted, said they cannot associate with the failed project.