Ruhiinda South Residents Decry Poor Infrastructure, Blame ‘Silent MPs’

Residents of Rurehe, Kabira Town Council, and Mayanga in Ruhiinda South Constituency, Mitooma District, are voicing their frustration over poor infrastructure, particularly roads and bridges.

As the 2026 general elections approach, they are demanding accountability from their elected leaders, whom they accuse of ineffective representation in the 11th Parliament.

Their grievances stem from the persistent poor road networks, inadequate healthcare facilities, and lack of quality education infrastructure, which they attribute to weak leadership.

Nabboth Ntungirehi, a resident of Kyeibare in Kabira Sub County, expressed disappointment over the state of roads and bridges, particularly the Kabwohe–Mitooma–Rukungiri road.

“We have had challenges of poor roads and bridges for the last two terms our MP has been in parliament. For instance, the Kabwohe–Mitooma to Rukungiri road is in a sorry state.”

He also questioned the effectiveness of their representatives, adding:

“If I can’t access my representative, if I don’t see my MP tabling the things that are on the ground affecting us, then I wonder whom they represent.”

The LC3 chairperson of Rurehe Sub County, Evelyn Ahimbisibwe, highlighted the district’s budgetary constraints in maintaining roads despite their importance.

“As a district, we get little money for the road fund, which can’t even make a marrum road or a bridge, yet most of our people use a major road that links Mitooma to Rukungiri for the market.”

Residents also raised concerns over the absence of a quality seed secondary school and the lack of a Health Centre III, despite government policies recommending such facilities in every sub-county.

Herbert Banyanga, a politician and resident of Kyeibare, emphasized the dire need for better infrastructure and accused MPs of failing to advocate for essential services.

“Every sub-county must have a seed school and a Health Centre III. That’s not the case with Ruhiinda South. According to government programs, these should be provided, but I feel we miss out due to poor representation in parliament.”

Banyanga, who intends to contest for the parliamentary seat in 2026, pointed to the long-standing issue of bridges, particularly those connecting Mitooma and Rukungiri.

“Our people have been struggling to cross the Rwanja stream, which had a makeshift bridge until I stepped in and provided the current bridge in my capacity. Without it, they had to take a much longer route to access Rukungiri for business.”

Residents, including Milton Tumwesigye from Rwanja Village, echoed the concerns, especially regarding the safety of learners.

“Our learners have been facing challenges crossing this Rwanja stream, and when it rains, it floods, submerging the bridge.”

With the current MP, Capt. Rtd. Donozio Kahonda, serving his second term, some residents feel abandoned, including Micheal Tumwebaze of Kyeibare, who criticized MPs for their lack of engagement.

“We are praying to God for someone who can rescue us. Most MPs, once we vote them in, go to Kampala, sit there, and don’t come back. Rarely do we even see them in parliament or committees lobbying for issues affecting us.”

However, MP Capt. Rtd. Donozio Kahonda defended his track record, arguing that the government has delivered services and that he has been actively advocating for his constituency.

“I really don’t understand when individuals claim that this government has not delivered or that I, as an MP, have not delivered. I am not seated—I am moving from office to office, pushing for services.”

On the issue of poor roads and bridges, he acknowledged the need for upgrades but pointed to funding limitations.

“When we received Shs 1 billion, we worked on the roads—grading them and fixing bridges in the first phase. However, these bridges are not under the district’s mandate. We are engaging the government, and in the second phase, we extended work to the sub-counties, but resources remain inadequate.”

Some of the most affected roads include:

Bugando–Buhasha, connecting to Butembe

Kabira–Rurehe road

Kabwohe–Mitooma via Kabira, linking to Rukungiri District

As frustrations mount, residents remain hopeful for leadership that will prioritize their concerns in the upcoming 2026 elections.