Bundibugyo leaders hail Museveni on the construction of roads inside DRC
The leadership of Bundibugyo district has asked President Museveni not to bow down on plans to construct roads from the border to the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo which will help boost trade.
Cabinet in October approved the construction and upgrading of the national road from Kasindi section at the border to Beni(80km) and the integration of the Beni-Butembo axis(54km) to the national road and the Bunagana(border) to Ruchuru- Goma road (89km) but the move has since attracted condemnation from members of the public.
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Speaking on behalf of other leaders during President Museveni’s campaign meeting in Bundibugyo town on Thursday, the district LC5 chairman Ronald Mutegheki applauded the NRM presidential candidate for the “wise” decision that he said would see business flourish between the two countries.
“When people begin shouting that you are being wrong in constructing roads in Congo, they don’t know what we are going through. You will have solved most of our problems because, first of all it is a short distance and the volume of trade will increase and a bigger market for our products,”Mutegheki said.
“When I see Ugandans shouting over these issues, I realize they don’t know how Uganda is a landlocked country and we need to open routes so that we open opportunities for this country.”
The Bundibugyo LC5 chairman noted that the construction of a shs5 billion market at the border with DRC would further give reason for the construction of the roads as goods to and from the market will be transported via the infrastructure.
Museveni responds
Speaking to the party leaders, Museveni said that whereas Members of Parliament and other people were abusing him for the decision to construct roads inside DRC, he didn’t care since he knew what he was doing was the best thing.
“MPs abused me over the roads(to DRC) but I was not moved. Abuses are like air, they pass. They drive on these roads and use electricity but dont know where they come from I thank you people(of Bundibugyo) because you have started waking up since you have a problem. You(Uganda) have so much sugar, and other products and if we work on those roads(to DRC), you will sell them well,” he noted.
“For us as NRM, we don’t think about tribes or religion but about Uganda and Africa at large. That’s why we did Congo roads because we knew if Congo develops, we also develop. Those are our brothers and sisters. The borders were put by colonialists but we should look at how to peacefully remove the borders and become one market.”
Speaking during the 58th independence celebrations at State House in Entebbe in October, President Museveni said the roads are needed like yesterday, before scoffing at those opposing the construction.
“I saw some shameless people in parliament saying, this stupid man Museveni: why are you building roads in Congo yet our roads have problems. Yes, we have our poor roads here but also have good roads. How can you stop me from partnering with DRC to develop roads there that support our trade? The terrible roads are hindering business,” he wondered.
During his campaigns for another term, Museveni has emphasized the need for a bigger market for Uganda’s surplus goods like sugar, maize and milk among others, noting that this can only be got if Uganda takes advantage of her neighbours and Africa at large.
He has always cited China as a country that has a guaranteed market of 1.3 billion people and yet they are still struggling for markets in other countries.
The construction of an improved road network will not only improve the stable relations between Uganda and DR Congo which have been enjoyed over the last decades, albeit complicated by security tensions in the eastern Congo but has also been touted to improve the security situation in the region.
The Minister for Works and Transport, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala recently said that the trade volumes between Uganda and DRC have the potential to grow twice if the road infrastructure between the two neighbouring countries is improved.
