Isingiro residents accuse UNRA of shoddy work on major highway

By Ambrose Muhumuza

Bukanga county residents in Isingiro district have given Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) a week to fix Isingiro-Rakai road or they will demonstrate.

Isingiro LC 5 Chairman Jeremiah Kamurari accuses UNRA of allowing the contractor to do a shoddy job on the road. As a result of the bad condition of the road, traffic on the road has been adversely affected.

The road connects Isingiro to Mutukula border in Rakai district. The road transports agricultural produce like matooke from Bukanga via Mbarara to Kampala. The road is under construction by Wanayinchi Construction Company.

Residents have questioned the type of murram being used on the road claiming the contractors are actually using Loam soil. The residents also question the non-existent drainage channels that could lead to floods in the area.

Kamurari adds that while UNRA presented to them bills of quantities for grade one murram, the contractors are using soil instead.

People in the area also claim that accidents on the road have increased since the end of year wet season began.

Residents are worried that mismanagement, corruption and theft of public funds is happening on UNRA's watch.

Efforts to get a comment from the contractor were futile as he declined to take calls despite repeated attempts even by the Isingiro district chairman.

Eng. Asiimwe Jacob, the UNRA station manager Mbarara, said he had not been aware of the residents complaints but promised to take up the matter.