Day

By Our reporter
NTUNGAMO

The territorial traffic police in Ntungamo has today 30.12.2022 at about 0355/c registered a fatal accident at Rwahi (after Satellite Hotel) along Ntungamo-Kabale road claiming lives of six people.
ASP Fariday Nampiima, the Public relations officer for The Police Traffic and Road safety Directorate says the accident involved motor vehicle registration number RAD798B HYUNDAI bus, belonging to Volcano Bus Company and motor vehicle registration number KCU054L (SCANIA) belonging to Oxygen Bus Company.

Murara Alphonse, a Rwandan driver of volcano bus, and Omido David, a Kenyan and the driver of the Oxygen bus both died on spot, and other four including Ishingiro Mustafa, a Rwandan; the conductor of Oxygen bus identified as Gakulu Cloude; a Rwandan and the conductor in Volcano bus, Hakizimana Etiene; a Rwandan passenger aboard Vocano bus, and a yet to be identified Burundian female passenger who was aboard Oxygen bus.

An approximate number of 40 passengers whose particulars are yet to be established were rushed to Rotom Health Centre in Muhanga and are under proper management.

Suspected cause of the accident has been attributed to reckless driving by the driver of Volcano bus, who, eyewitnesses say was from Kampala side but left his side and was driving from the right where he met an on-coming Oxygen bus from Kabale side whose driver tried to swerve to his extreme left in order to dodge the Volcano bus in vain thus head-on collision.

The bodies of the deceased have all been conveyed to Kabale Regional Referral Hospital Mortuary for postmortem.

By Libino Byamukama

KABALE DISTRICT

The Kabale Municipality Mp Dr. Nicholas Thaddeus Kamara has rejuvenated protests against the delayed completion of Uganda Support to Municipality Infrastructure Development –USMID road projects that were contracted by Multiplex Construction Company.

In May 2021, the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, through its World Bank Funded Program, handed over three road construction projects in Kabale Municipality to Multiplex contractors for tarmacking. The roads include Rushoroza(2.049Kms), Bwankosya (0.76Km) and Bushekwire (0.34 Km).

The projects worth Ugx 21 billion were supposed to be completed before May 2021 according to the terms of the contract. However, by the time of filing this story, Multiplex Company had only completed 37.5% of the expected works, despite asking for contract extension three times, according to the Kabale Municipality USMID Program coordinator Alfred Ahimbisibwe.

In a meeting chaired by Hon. Dr. Kamara at Capricon Hotel in Kabale town yesterday, Mr. Ahimbisibwe revealed that out of the Ugx 21 billion, the contractor had only utilized about 7 billion and there was little or no hopes that Multiplex company would meet the last deadline extension which runs up to 31st January 2023.

It’s on this note that Dr. Kamara called for the immediate termination of the contract arguing that Multiplex Company had shown all the signs that they were unable to complete the construction projects. Kamara, who in August this year delivered Kabale municipality’s petition to parliament over the same issue, said that he was going to rejuvenate the debate in parliament.

“This town serves not only Kabale Municipality, but also Rubanda and Rukiga Districts. In future when we attain city status, these road projects will also be important for people in the entire Kigezi sub region, and therefore the matter should be in the interest of all Mps from Kigezi,” Kamara said.

The Assistant Commissioner Monitoring and Evaluation in the Ministry of Lands. Housing and Urban Development, Smith Twinamasiko said that the Ministry was considering “so many” options before terminating the contract given to Multiplex company, including the need for subcontracting another company to finish the job in time.

According to Twinamasiko, the USMID Program ends in December 2023, and the World Bank would take back the unused funds if the projects are not completed by that time.

Meanwhile, Multiplex company limited is facing similar protests in Mbarara City and Ntungamo Municipality where the leaders have also called for termination of its contracts.

Ntungamo and Mabarara also entered into agreement with Multiplex Company in joint venture with Turkish company Ditaco, to construct Major Victor Bwama road (0.95km), Galt road(0.63km), and Stanley road (0.78km) in Mbarara city at Ugx 22 billion. In Ntungamo Municipality, the contractors are working on Kajinya-Tindibakira road 92.07km)

The districts entered into an agreement with Multiplex Limited, in a joint Venture with Ditaco, to construct Major Victor Bwana road (0.95km), Galt road (0.63km), and Stanley Road (0.78km) in Mbarara City at Shs22b. The roads in Ntungamo Municipality including Kajinya-Tindibakira were contracted at a tune of Ug.x 11.39b.

All the road projects were supposed to be handed over in May 2022, but the contractor still hasn’t completed works and is seeking more extension.

By Innocent Atuganyira
BULIISA:

Victims of wild animal invasion and destruction in Buliisa district have decried the delayed compensation by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
The issue was brought up in front of Buliisa constituency Member of Parliament Allan Atugonza and UWA officials on Thursday during an assessment of the crops destroyed by elephants in Bugana Ngazi, Buliisa Sub County, on Wednesday night, where a herd of over 20 elephants from Murchison National Park reportedly destroyed over four acres of crops.
Among the destroyed crops are cassava, sweet potatoes, and banana plantations.
Ivan Businge, Sharif Kato, and Edwin Kahwa, among many other victims, say that as long as assessments for the destroyed crops are made by UWA, the victims have never been compensated, and UWA has continued to give them the same assessment forms to fill out.
The residents added that the destruction of their crops by the wild animals from Murchison Falls National Park makes them food insecure and impoverishes them, yet the government does not compensate them.
Simeo Kiirya, the agricultural officer in Buliisa Sub County, advised the victims to follow up on the compensation matter with the rightful procedures and government offices.
Allan Atugonza, the Buliisa County Legislator, who also expressed concern over the delays, promised to follow up on the matter for immediate action.
Atugonza also asked the government to consider providing urgent food relief to the families affected by the wild animal invasion in the district.
He said the crop destruction by wild animals is causing food insecurity in the area, noting the need for urgent food relief by the government before compensating the affected residents for their destroyed property.
Cases of crop destruction by wild animals, mainly elephants, are common in Buliisa and Ngwedo subcounties.
David Katusiime, the chairperson of LC1 Bugana Kichooke Nganzi village, said they are worried about the continuous invasion and destruction by wild animals, and he requested the government devise means of preventing these animals from crossing into the community land.
Efforts to get a comment from UWA were futile since its officials who were at the scene declined to speak to the media.
President Museveni asserted the Wildlife Act 2019 in 2019, which introduced compensation for people who suffer bodily harm, are killed by wild animals, or have property damage as a result of wild animals.
However, UWA has yet to compensate the people who suffered attacks from wild animals.

By Ambrose Kweronda
RUKIGA DISTRICT

The territorial police in Rukiga district have this morning of 30/12/2022 at around 04:00hrs at Satellite Hotel 2kms from Muhanga trading centre along Rukiga Mbarara highway in Ntungamo district, responded to head-on collision involving two buses that claimed six victims on spot that include both drivers and left thirty victims seriously injured.

According to Elly Maate the Kigezi region police spokesperson the accident involved two buses one from Rwanda, reg no 798B of Volcano RAD CO and another one belonging to a Kenyan bus company Oxygen registration no KCU 054L

The victims have been evacuated to ROTOM Health center in Muhanga town council by both police patrol cars and ambulance under the supervision of Dpc Rukiga and Oc traffic

Preliminary cause of the Accident was attributed to too much Fog with Elly maate explaining that both drivers couldn’t easily see what was ahead of them hence collided.