We have poor roads due to graft - Namisindwa locals

Residents and leaders in Namisindwa District have said the poor state of roads in the district is holding back the district’s economic growth.

The road users, especially traders, who attribute the problem to corruption, said they incur high costs in transporting their produce and other goods to markets.
Locals said access to health facilities is also a challenge as motorists spend hours maneuvering through impassable roads.
Mr Joseph Nashimolo, a retired civil engineer, said the roads are impassable due to a lack of timely rehabilitation.

“The transporters are forced to hike the fares since they spend a lot of time to reach their respective destinations,” he said.
Namisindwa has a total road network of 979Kms. The district has 28Kms unpaved and 500Kms community access roads, only 16km of tarmac road.
Bumbo, Bukiabi, Bukhaweka, Bubutu, Bukokho sub-counties are among the places with the worst roads.

Mr David Mwangala, a teacher, said: “It is estimated that Namisindwa loses more than 30 percent of local tax revenue that would be levied from agricultural products that fail to reach marketplaces mostly because of poor roads. Access to markets, health services and schools is a nightmare.”

  In some communities, where roads have been constructed, residents complain that a very thin layer of murram is splattered on top of the road, making its lifespan much shorter than expected.
Residents said the trenches that are dug to drain runoff water are too small and the culverts that are used are cracked.
Mr Moses Mwassa, a local businessman, said a lot of money was being “eaten” by some corrupt individuals as soon as the government released the funds instead of putting it in the right use.

“I decided to return to my home village and concentrate on agriculture. But due to the poor state of poor roads, I am getting little or no profit from my produce,” Mr Mwassa,39, a farmer and a resident of Bumbo Sub –county, said.
Mr Fred Okumu,a truck driver, said his vehicle often breaks down or gets stuck in mud as he ferries produce.
“We invest too much in repairing and servicing trucks so we have to increase the transport fares in order to remain in business, ”Mr Okumu said.

Mr Moses Balikoowa, who transports bread and cakes, said they are sometimes forced to cancel their journeys to Namisindwa when the roads become impassable.
  Some of the residents petitioned the Inspector General of Government (IGG) and director of the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), AIGP Tom Magambo, over alleged misuse of road rehabilitation funds.
IGG Spokesperson, Ms Munira Ali, said the inspectorate has commenced investigations into claims that Namisindwa District Local Government mismanaged Shs200 million meant for rehabilitation of more than 14 community access roads.

“We received different complaints on roads in Namisindwa District and we are handling the investigations,”Ms Munira said yesterday.
 The residents in an August 16 petition called for an investigation into the alleged misappropriation of road funds, corruption, and abuse of office by some of the top officials in the district.

“This was made worse in the last financial year of 2022-2023 when road fund releases for the third and fourth quarter amounted to Shs 200 million. The district received Shs49 million for the first and second quarters, third and fourth quarter they got Shs87m and Shs64m respectively…the roads that were planned for have not been worked on,” the petition reads in part.

In August, the Executive Director of Uganda Road Fund, Mr Andrew Naimanye, wrote to various accounting officers including those in Namisindwa over the delayed submission of physical financial accountabilities for the third and fourth quarters in FY2022/2023.
“Reference is made to the Uganda Road Fund budgeting and operational guidelines for the Financial year 2022/2023 which inquire you (Namisindwa District) to submit quarterly physical and financial accountabilities’ for the road maintenance funds disbursed to you by the 15th of the month after the quarter,” Mr Naimanye’s letter reads in part. 

 The Namboko Sub-county councillor, Mr Peter Masayi, said the money is usually released and no work is done.
“For us as a council, we made some recommendations that there should be a special investigation into the misuse of the funds. If we had power, we would have arrested the engineer who was in charge,” Mr Masayi said.
However, the Namisindwa District Engineer, Mr Robert Mukelule Tululukha, dismissed allegations of embezzling road funds, saying: “Some people are fighting me because I supported the current district chairperson”.

He told this publication that in the third quarter, the district received Shs87 million, and Shs57 million in the fourth quarter.
“But the Money for the first and second quarter I don’t know. I don’t want to comment on that money because my colleague whom I left in office may think that I am fighting him,” he said.

  While presenting a report on the state of affairs of Namisindwa district for the financial year ending on June 30 on September 8, the LCV chairperson, Mr Jackson Wakweika, said: “I’m unable to report funds received during the first and second quarters because I have not been furnished with the information.”

He said the council wants an audit on the road funds, especially monies released in the first and second quarters of FY2022/2023.
When contacted, the CAO, Mr Leonard Kitavuja, declined to comment on the matter.