Deep potholes have eaten up the Bushenyi - Mbarara 65km highway, almost making it impassable. The shoulders of this road have been eaten up by traffic as they try to dodge falling into gullies created in the middle of the road.
Users of this road say it has outlived its lifespan, calling for government’s immediate attention.
“We are tired of these potholes,” Alex Beingana, a commuter taxi operator in Bushenyi, decried, saying that almost every day he goes to the garage to repair his car.
“Yesterday I was in a garage, today I have been there too. Now what am I working for, really?”
Due to the increasing potholes, drivers force their cars into walkways of the pedestrians and motorcycles, which has continued to put their lives at stake.
“This road is becoming a death trap. Cars are now forcing us away from the road as they fight to access a clear pass way. Accidents are increasing but surprisingly we have government officials who pass on this road daily, but they can’t do anything,” Ambrose Ataho, a cyclist, told the Nile Post.
In 2023, before it was merged with the Ministry of Works and Transport, UNRA contracted Sanix Technologies at a tune of Ush 7 billion for 3 years to undertake motorised maintenance, but the contractor later abandoned the work.
“He came and fixed some part after Bushenyi police station but no other work has ever been done since then,” said Kakonge Apollo Lee, Executive Director of the Western Ankole Civil Society Forum.
This 65km Bushenyi - Mbarara road has outlived its lifespan. Many, including district leaders and MPs, have been raising their voices to have the road rehabilitated but in vain.
“This road has killed people’s businesses,” Kakonge further noted, adding that “Travelling from Bushenyi to Mbarara used to take between 45-60 minutes, but now it can take you 2 hours. Now you can imagine if you’re transporting perishables.”
Having failed to rehabilitate the road, a section of users of this road have now launched a campaign to fill the potholes themselves, with the majority decrying government’s endless promises and delays.
These have so far covered 5km with optimism that soon their efforts will see the road become motorable once again.
“In fact, they should come and borrow a leaf from us. If they’re saying they don’t have money, how much have we used to fill these potholes? Why are they becoming so adamant to hear people’s outcry? Do they want to first see people dying on this road before they respond?” Kakonge asked.
“This campaign that we have launched will continue, and if the Ministry of Works doesn’t come to fill these potholes with tarmac, we shall also plan something else to do because the soils we’re putting are just to provide temporary relief,” Kakonge further noted.
Police has also cautioned motorists on this road to reduce over speeding and drive carefully as they approach the very poor sections in order to curtail accidents and more car damages.
“Yes, we acknowledge the fact that this road is in a very poor state. Potholes are too much, but we also appeal to the users to stop over speeding as we wait for government to fix the road,” Sulman Tagana, the Regional Traffic Officer Greater Bushenyi, said.