Mbarara City Moves to Rehabilitate Road After Nile Post Story

The Nile Post on Tuesday brought to the attention the state of the road in Rwenjeru Ward, a vital gateway to Mbarara City for travellers from Kampala, after the residents expressed frustrations over critical shortage of access to service delivery.

Mbarara City authorities have launched the construction of the Ekyihangire-Akaku road, a 6-kilometre route in Rwenjeru Ward.

Funded by the Uganda Road Fund with a budget of Shs70.3 million, the project aims to improve accessibility and address long-standing flooding issues that have disrupted daily life and business activities, particularly for children crossing to Rwenjeru Primary School.

While the initiative has been met with optimism, some residents are voicing concerns over the adequacy of the planning, particularly regarding drainage solutions and the overall scope of the project.

The Nile Post on Tuesday brought to the attention the state of the road in Rwenjeru Ward, a vital gateway to Mbarara City for travellers from Kampala, after the residents expressed frustrations over critical shortage of access to service delivery.

Enock Twimwine, a local resident, shared a common sentiment: “We’re happy about the development, but some areas lack culverts. Adding murram alone will just be washed away. We need a proper drainage plan, or we’ll be back to square one.”

His concerns reflect a larger issue among residents, who fear that the road’s success will be short-lived without addressing the underlying drainage problems that have plagued the area for years.

The project, which is set to take fourteen days to complete, includes bush clearing, shaping, compacting, and some drainage improvements.

However, due to the funding limitations, only 4.5 kilometers of the road will receive gravel (murram), leaving the remaining 1.5 kilometres without it.

Senior Engineer Bananuka William confirmed the budgetary constraints, explaining, “The money in the budget is 70 million, but this isn’t enough. Murram will only be put on 4.5 kilometers, and the remaining 1.5 kilometres will go without.”

The road was initially worked on by the Ministry of Works in 2014 but has since deteriorated due to insufficient funding and the erosion of materials.

City Clerk Kiconco Joselyne assured the residents that authorities were committed to making the most of available resources.

“We’re here to give you this road and guidelines for its upkeep,” she stated.

However, residents, particularly Kisanja, remain skeptical, arguing that the focus should be on proper drainage solutions.

“Without enough culverts, flooding is inevitable,” Kisanja added. “They should have discussed this with us first to prioritize what we truly need.”

The concerns are not unfounded. Many locals, such as Mbondo Steven, are calling for larger culverts and better planning to avoid a recurring cycle of road degradation.

“The existing culverts are too small. Without larger culverts to control flooding, this roadwork will just be temporary,” he noted.

In response to these concerns, Mayor Robert Kakyebezi urged the community to be patient and cooperative, given the financial challenges the city is facing.

“We have a big city but are running on a municipality budget,” he acknowledged. “For now, let’s work together and make the most of what we have.”

Resident City Commissioner Catherine Kamwine Hellen also called for vigilance from the community during construction.

“Stay alert and report loopholes as work progresses. If we want quality work, we need to engage constructively, not just pressure authorities,” she emphasized.

As the roadwork moves forward, it remains to be seen whether the concerns raised by residents will be adequately addressed.

The call for better drainage systems and larger culverts highlights the need for more comprehensive planning to ensure the sustainability of the road and prevent future flooding and infrastructure challenges.