Locals manoeuvre through a flooded section of Mbale-Butaleja Road in Butaleja Town Council in November 2024. PHOTO/YAHUDU KITUNZI
The poor state of roads in Butaleja District has become a recurring campaign tool for politicians in the area. Roads such as Lwangoli-Butaleja-Namutumba (90km), Nangongera-Busolwe (44km), Nabiganda-Nalusanga (15km), and Doho-Namulo-Nalusanga (35km), among others, are frequently cited by parliamentary candidates as priority projects.
This trend began with former Member of Parliament, Mr Emmanuel Lumala Dombo, and his successor, Mr Moses Nagwomu Musamba. Analysts warn individuals eyeing parliamentary and other elective seats against making empty promises, saying they cost MPs their seats in previous polls.
Mr Dombo, who is now the director of communication and publicity at the NRM Secretariat, stated that while the government may take time to accomplish certain tasks, it always fulfills its pledges. He urged the people of Butaleja to remain patient, explaining that the NRM does not perform miracles but works within the available resources, depending on priorities.
“For instance, when the government is preparing to work on a road and landslides occur, affecting people, the resources meant for that road may be diverted to handle the emergency. However, the people of Butaleja should be assured that the NRM will work on that road when resources become available, just as it has done in other areas,” Mr Dombo said.
Residents are agitating for the improvement of roads in the district to easily access markets, health centers, schools, and other services. Butaleja District was carved out of Tororo District in 2005. However, it does not have a tarmacked road connecting to neighboring districts of Namutumba, Tororo, and Mbale, among others.
Mr Isaac Guloba, a retired teacher, said many residents had hoped President Museveni would provide concrete assurance on the issue when he visited the district recently, but their expectations remain unmet.
“The voters in the area are now threatening to oust the current MPs in the next election if they fail to deliver on their promise,” Mr Guloba said.
Mr Joseph Were, a road user, said the poor state of the district’s roads, particularly the highways, continues to be a major concern for residents. He said despite being a frequent campaign promise by successive parliamentary candidates, there are no tangible results on the ground.
“The issue has persisted for decades, with former MPs like Mr. Dombo and Mr Musamba pledging to address it but failing to deliver,” Mr Were said.
He said Mr Musamba lost because of making empty promises.
“His successor, Mutembuli, also campaigned on the same promise but has yet to make significant headway with only one year left in his term. While he recently claimed that efforts to tarmac the roads have started, many residents remain skeptical due to repeated unfulfilled promises,” Mr Were said.
When contacted, Mr Mutembuli said the government signed a contract with Power China in 2023 under alternative financing.
“What is pending is for the government to find money to compensate the project-affected persons. The government is already identifying and marking persons and areas to be affected. All these steps show that the road will be worked on,” Mr Mutembuli said.
He promised to follow up in the coming financial year to find money in the budget for compensation.
Mr Steven Masiga, a researcher, said: “The politicians should be careful not to make promises that are not within preview. Most of the politicians in the district can play to the gallery in order to woo voters. They can even promise to erect a bridge where there is no water.”
“I have followed the politics of Butaleja and the entire Bukedi Sub-region for some time. Upcoming politicians normally want to portray a picture that incumbents are just snoring on their jobs and paint a very bad picture about those in offices as total failures,” he added.
Mr Masiga, who is also the coordinator for Makerere University Mbale branch, warned voters against electing liars.
Mr Jacob Wangolo, a former MP for Bunyole West, said: “When I was a leader, I told people that to get tarmac roads in the district needs 20 years, but people were not happy with me.”
He noted that he lost his re-election because of the poor road network.
“By the time I left Parliament, everything was moving on well, even the bill of quantities was signed, but because the current leaders didn’t follow up and the government kept quiet,” Mr Wangolo said.
He asked the current MPs to lobby the government to work on the said roads.
In Butaleja District, parliamentary representation has followed a trend of one-term service for most Members of Parliament after Mr Emmanuel Dombo’s 20-year tenure. For example, in Bunyole East, Mr Musamba served only one term.
Similarly, Ms Florence Nebanda, the Woman MP, was replaced by Ms Milly Mugeni after one term, only for Ms Nebanda to reclaim the seat in 2021.
In Bunyole West, Mr Jacob Wangolo served one term before being succeeded by Mr. James Waluswaka in 2016. Mr Waluswaka was in 2021 replaced by Mr Geoffrey Mutiwa.
Political analysts attribute this pattern to the MPs’ unfulfilled promises. They argue that during campaigns, politicians make promises they fail to deliver, leading to voter dissatisfaction.
Efforts to obtain a comment from Mr Mutiwa were unsuccessful by press time. However, Ms Nebanda said: “It’s true Namutumba-Butaleja-Nabumali Road was a presidential pledge. Former and current MPs have taken strides to follow up in writing and have physically visited the Ministry of Works and UNRA (Uganda National Roads Authority) over the subject matter. We have moved a step with road drawing designs, estimates, and assessing the people to be compensated. The Ministry of Finance addressed a concern of money.”
UNRA’s activities were reverted to the Works Ministry at the end of last year after Parliament passed a Bill to rationalize government agencies.
Ms Nebanda added that during President Museveni’s recent tour in Bukedi Sub-region, the President was requested to ensure roads are upgraded in Butaleja.
“It was observed that Butaleja and Butebo are the only districts in Bukedi without tarmac,” she said.
However, some residents said President Museveni has on several occasions promised to tarmac the same roads but in vain. They cited Lwangoli-Butaleja-Namutumba Road, in particular, as a symbol of frustration because it is usually affected by floods, rendering it impassable. In 2024 alone, it was cut off by floods three times, leaving passengers stranded and causing significant losses for farmers and businesspeople.
Last November, residents of Butaleja District embarked on constructing an alternative path to reconnect road users between Himutu and Mazimasa Sub-counties. The same road also connects to Tororo District. This initiative followed the collapse of the bridge, cutting off a vital route.
Mr Amos Mauso, the architect of the community-driven project, explained that the bridge was destroyed by the rising water levels of River Manafwa.
“The flooding submerged the bridge, leaving residents with no choice but to walk an extra seven kilometers to reach Nalusaga Trading Centre, Kanghalamba Health Centre III, and Nabiganda Health Centre IV, which are the nearest facilities,” Mr Mauso said.
Despite limited resources, he said the residents raised Shs1 million to buy timber, nails, and food for the workers.
Mr Moses Higenyi Kemba, a former parliamentary aspirant for Bunyole East, said: “The solution to the tarmacking of Butaleja Road is... to vote out NRM from the lowest level to the highest possible level.”
He said President Museveni first promised that road in 1993, at a time when Bunyole was predominantly opposed to him.
“Mr Museveni indeed sent then Vice President Specioza Naigaga Kazibwe to launch the works in 1996 on the eve of the presidential elections. After the polls, the bulldozers that had been brought were withdrawn,” Mr Higenyi said.
