Staff Reporter
Opposition leaders in Kisoro District orchestrated a civil protest on Thursday, drawing attention to the dismal state of roads in the country by planting banana stems and yams in potholes throughout Kisoro Municipality.
The initiative was sparked by Robert Sentamu Kyagulanyi, the President of the National Unity Platform, who declared a protest campaign encouraging the planting of banana stems in pothole-ridden roads across Kampala city, as announced on his X-Twitter on January 22nd, 2024.
The grassroots movement commenced with the symbolic planting of banana stems and yams along the tourism road leading to Rusiza market in the municipality. Vincent Mushakamba, the Chairman of FDC Kisoro District, voiced the frustration of the people, pointing to the government’s unfulfilled promises that left the area burdened with substandard markets, tourism roads, and notably, poorly maintained roads.
Mushakamba called on residents in Kisoro District to join the protest, emphasizing that tangible actions, beyond mere elections, are necessary to compel the government to address their grievances.
Owen Ahimbisibwe, the Kisoro FDC secretary, expressed dismay over the lack of accountability for citizens’ taxes. He described schools resembling garbage lands, hospitals feeling like places of death, and inadequate roads leading to the tragic loss of eight children daily as pregnant mothers navigated perilous journeys to medical facilities.
Denis Dusenge, the National Unity Platform’s publicity representative in Kisoro Municipality, declared that the time for a coalition had come. He rallied residents to participate in the protest, urging them to demand improved services from the government.
The protest, characterized by symbolic acts of planting in potholes, signifies a collective call for change and accountability in Kisoro District.
