Masindi appeals to Road Fund over broken bridges

Broken bridges. These include; Tantara, Kasambya and Kaborogota in Pakanyi Sub-county that broke three months ago and have not been fixed due to lack of funds by the district. PHOTO BY ISMAIL BATEGEKA

What you need to know:

  • The 2015 National Service Delivery Survey indicates that inadequate funding (66 per cent), inadequate equipment (54 per cent) and delayed remittance of funds (37 per cent) affect the Works sector in various district.

Masindi. Masindi Local Government has appealed to the Ministry of Works and Transport through the Uganda Road Fund to repair broken bridges in the district.

According to the leaders, the three bridges have paralyzed business and movement in the district.
These include; Tantara, Kasambya and Kaborogota in Pakanyi Sub-county that broke three months ago and have not been fixed due to lack of funds by the district.

Pakanyi is a leading sub-county in maize growing in Masindi.
Mr Kasim Kabagonza, the Masindi District vice chairperson, said they have written to Uganda Road Fund for consideration in addition to funding work on the broken bridges.

“We need more funding from government on the bridges because as a district, we are constrained,” Mr Kabagonza said on Monday.
Mr Salam Kugonza, the district secretary for finance, said the broken bridges have greatly affected the children who cannot cross to Alimugonza Primary School.

“Children miss out school when it rains and we can not move goods from there,” Mr Kugonza said.

Funding
Mr Kugonza said despite the communities’ efforts to put more stones in the bridge, it has not yielded any results.
Mr Ramek Atugonza, the district engineer, said Masindi received Shs159 million for works in the last financial year which was not enough for all activities.

He said the funds were spent on maintaining the mechanised routine roads and that Shs68.1 million was transferred to all the four sub-counties of Masindi.

“We worked on 350km of roads in Kyatiri, Kitanyata, Nyakatogo and other areas,” Mr Atugonza said.
Mr Jackson Muhumuza, a businessman in Masindi, said he can no longer transport his maize to his main store in the town due to the poor road network.

“I wish government can hear us and work on those bridges. We are badly off as our goods are in the village,” Mr Muhumuza said.
According to the 2015 National Service Delivery Survey, sub-county officials are challenged with numerous constraints in the maintenance and repair of roads.

Issues

The 2015 National Service Delivery Survey indicates that inadequate funding (66 per cent), inadequate equipment (54 per cent) and delayed remittance of funds (37 per cent) affect the Works sector in various district.