NELSON K
Local leaders, in partnership with residents of Rugyeyo Subcounty, Kanungu District, have raised concerns and expressed dissatisfaction over the poor road works along the Omukagashe–Kabalanga–Kayungwe road. They say the substandard work continues to hinder economic development in the area.
Joseph Akankwasa, the Rugyeyo Subcounty district councillor, while speaking to Boona Radio, voiced his disappointment with the district’s poor road connectivity. He questioned the failure to properly implement and complete road projects, despite the district receiving substantial funding—up to one billion Ugandan shillings per district.
Akankwasa strongly criticized the contractors, accusing them of bribery and corruption.
He revealed that during a recent district council meeting, he raised a motion to investigate possible corruption behind the poor-quality roads in Kanungu. He cited the 2024/2025 budget, where 124 million shillings were allocated to cover a 7km murram road, including culverts. However, he noted that the work being done does not match the allocated funds.
He also expressed frustration with the local government’s inability to construct and complete road projects, arguing that communal work efforts (Burungi Bwansi) have been more effective. He appreciated the Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Hon. Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, who is also the Kinkizi East Member of Parliament, for supporting communal initiatives that have improved feeder road networks in remote areas.
Some of the affected residents, led by Asimwe Lanzio and Owamazima Suzariyo, also spoke to Boona Radio. They expressed great disappointment, demanding accountability for the road construction. They noted that the grader did not rehabilitate the road but instead destroyed water passages and communal access routes.
The residents added that no local leaders or residents were informed or involved in the process. There was no official ground-breaking to brief the community on what was going to be done and which roads were to be rehabilitated. They condemned the approach as unfair and demanded explanations from the responsible team, including the Kanungu District engineers and assigned contractors, for the shoddy work.
However, the Kanungu District Works Supervisor responded by saying that the team was only doing bush clearing and had not yet begun the actual construction. He urged local leaders to inform residents accordingly.
