YOU LIED US ON TARMACKING RUKUNGIRI, KANUNGU ROAD—RESIDENTS TELL PRESIDENT MUSEVENI

BY VANANSIO MBABAZI
IN RUKUNGIRI—-
Residents of Rukungiri and Kanungu districts have threatened to
demonstrate over government failure to tarmac
Rukungiri-Kanungu-Ishasha road.
The concerned locals, who addressed a press conference yesterday at
Heritage Country Hotel in Rukungiri Municipality, claim that 11th
January this year, when NRM Presidential Candidate President Yoweri
Museveni was campaigning at Kyambeya village, Muramba Parish, Mpungu
sub-county in Kanungu district, flanked by Prime
Minister Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda and Uganda National Roads Authority
(UNRA) Executive Director, Allen Kagina pledged to tarmac the
Rukungiri- Kanungu road.
Kagina also said that Government had secured funds from the African
Development Bank to upgrade the road whose current poor state has
created distress to the people of Kigezi region and the exercise would
start with immediate effect.
However on 30th June this year while addressing journalists about
highlights of the last financial year at the UNRA head office in
Kampala, Kagina announced a halt on new road projects in the financial
year beginning 2016/ 2017 due to financial constraints including
Rukungiri-Kanungu-Ishasha road.
She said that existing funds will be allocated to finishing road works
on the 1000 kilometers currently under construction and on
rehabilitating the existing roads which has irked the
Kanungu-Rukungiri residents.
The 78Km road is currently a gravel carriageway located in
south-western part of Uganda, starting from Rukungiri Municipality
traversing the districts of Rukungiri and Kanungu ending at Ishasha,
the border with the eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC).
Led by Publicity and legal Secretary for Kagunga Community development
Association David Ruzindana said that they are seeking an explanation
from government why the road was left out or else they stage protests.
Ruzindana accuses government of making empty promises to the residents
of Rukungiri and Kanungu to win their votes. He also accused Kagina
and UNRA for failure to implement Presidential pledges in time.

Onesmas Bacunde and Robert Musiime other concerned citizens say that
people in Rukungiri and Kanungu have been fooled for a long time and
will not accept this any longer because of many accidents.