The residents of Kyotera town have expressed growing anger towards their local leaders over what they see as the misuse of taxpayer money on ineffective projects.
Their frustrations were heightened after the construction of a road in the town, known as St. John Road, which they claim is substandard despite costing Shs304 million.
The discontent has been directed at the district chairman, Patrick Kintu Kisekulo, who has been accused of attempting to block certain leaders from inspecting the newly completed road.
They believe that this is an attempt to cover up the poor state of the road, which, despite its high cost, shows significant flaws. The road, which is only one kilometer long, lacks essential features such as proper drainage systems, and locals fear it will soon deteriorate like many other roads in the area.
"You wonder what kind of road is being built without proper water channels. We’ve been telling the contractors daily what needs to be fixed, but they keep promising to address it later. To our frustration, none of those promises have been fulfilled." Musa Kakeeto said
"Every time we voice our concerns, they claim politicians are behind it. But all we want is transparency in how our tax money is spent and to see it used for projects that truly benefit the community," said Luswata.
Kyotera district, which was carved out of Rakai district in 2017 to improve service delivery, continues to struggle with poor road infrastructure, particularly in key towns such as Kyotera, Kalisizo, and Mutukula.
Road construction was one of the pressing issues residents hoped would be addressed with the creation of the new district. However, many of the roads remain in poor condition, and residents are now accusing authorities of using the limited funds allocated for road development in fraudulent ways.
However the construction of St. John Road has become a point of contention, with residents doubting its durability.
While district officials have assured the public that the road is of high quality, residents are skeptical, especially after witnessing government workers, without any expertise in road construction, attempting to water the road to demonstrate its strength.
Jude Kisirinya, the Kyotera district clerk, has acknowledged the situation but failed to provide a reason for the absence of a road specialist during the construction project.
"We believe the road will improve over time, as the stone dust is still settling. The locals don’t seem to realize that yet," Kisirinya stated
In the face of this dissatisfaction, Kyotera MP John Paul Mpalanyi has commended the residents for standing up and demanding accountability for how taxpayer money is spent.
"We want to see locals raise their voices on more than just roads. They should be monitoring healthcare, schools, and other essential services because they have not been doing enough to hold leaders accountable," said Hon. Mpalanyi.
Some locals, frustrated by the substandard road, have even threatened to remove the tarmac and return it to a marram road, citing that it was in a better state before the construction.
The situation in Kyotera reflects a broader issue of poor service delivery and lack of accountability in local government projects, leaving residents disillusioned with their leaders' promises.