Minister speaks on illegal use of Katonga bridge by trucks
A sand truck in Kayabwe Town on the Kampala-Masaka highway after crossing the damaged River Katonga Bridge on the night of October 20. PHOTO | MONITOR
What you need to know:
- The Monitor exposé on October 24 revealed that heavy truck drivers bribe personnel manning the bridge and cross it at night.
The Minister of Works and Transport, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, has said government is aware of unscrupulous personnel who extort money from heavy truck drivers and allow them to use the damaged River Katonga and River Ssezibwa bridges at night.
Katonga Bridge is on Kampala-Masaka highway while Ssezibwa is on Mukono-Kayunga Road. For the case of Katonga , heavy trucks were banned from using the bridge after flash floods swept through the area on May 11 while the 70-year-old Ssezibwa Bridge developed glaring surface defects on October 7.
A Daily Monitor exposé on October 24 revealed that heavy truck drivers pay between Shs50,000 and Shs150,000 to personnel manning Katonga Bridge and cross it between 5pm and 3am.
During a telephone interview last week, Gen Wamala said they have been receiving reports of heavy trucks stealthily using both bridges at night and pledged to collaborate with security agencies to stop the vice, which he said, could lead to a severe disaster.
“We are going to liaise with the agencies that gave us those people to ensure that they are reprimanded and replace them with new ones and conduct thorough investigations to ensure that this problem is fully addressed,” the minister said
He said when restoration works were carried out at Katonga Bridge, only one lane was provided for only light vehicles below 30 tonnes, not heavy trucks.
“Those people [soliciting bribes from truck drivers] are unpatriotic. They are forgetting that their aunts and uncles or even their own children can fall victim, they can be passing using other vehicles and the bridges carve in. There are clear guidelines in place, let’s follow them,” Gen Wamala added.
Currently, heavy trucks from Kayunga heading to Kampala are supposed to use the Kyampisi-Namataba road. Traffic from Jinja was diverted to the Kampala-Jinja highway or alternatively used the Njeru-Kisoga –Mukono road while the traffic from Luweero heading to Kayunga use the Kalagi-Mukono-Namataba-Kyampisi-Kayunga road.
All heavy trucks from Kampala going to Masaka are supposed to use the Mpigi – Kanoni – Ssembabule-Bukomansimbi route.
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