Enock Ndyamuhakyi | Tayari News
KABALE- Residents of Kabale District have appealed to the Minister of Local Government, Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi, to address the poor state of roads, alleged bribery and irregularities in the implementation of the Parish Development Model (PDM), and charges reportedly imposed on learners in government schools.
The residents say the challenges are affecting service delivery, access to government livelihood support programmes and children’s access to education.
They hope Barugahara’s planned visit will provide an opportunity to present their concerns directly to the government and obtain explanations from the relevant authorities over delayed infrastructure projects and alleged shortcomings in the implementation of government programmes.
According to the planned programme, the minister is expected to visit Rukiga District on Thursday, October 22, Kabale on Friday, October 23, Rubanda on Saturday, October 24, Kisoro on Sunday, October 25, Kanungu on Tuesday, October 27, and Rukungiri on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.
One of the major concerns raised by residents is the poor state of Bugongi Road, which they say has remained unimproved for years despite repeated promises that it would be tarmacked.
Andrew Beckham, a boda boda rider at Bugongi Roundabout Market Stage, says the continued delay has frustrated road users, who remain uncertain about when the road will be improved and which authorities are responsible for the project.
Beckham says the poor road conditions, coupled with the absence of streetlights, make movement difficult, particularly at night.He wants Barugahara to engage the responsible authorities and establish whether funds intended for the road works have been released and how they have been utilised.
“The road has remained in a poor state for years despite repeated promises that it would be tarmacked. We want the minister to find out why the promised works have not been implemented and whether the funds intended for the project have been put to their intended use,” Beckham says.
He adds that the lack of streetlights compounds the difficulties faced by road users, especially at night.
Another resident, Ambrose Owoyesigyire, popularly known as Walcott, has welcomed the minister’s planned visit, saying it presents an opportunity for residents to raise concerns that have persisted without satisfactory answers.
Owoyesigyire says Bugongi Road and the lack of street lighting are among the issues requiring urgent attention.
“Residents want to know which authorities are responsible for Bugongi Road and why the promised improvements have not been implemented. We hope the minister will engage the responsible officials and help us get clear answers,” Owoyesigyire says.
Meanwhile, Allan Birungi has appealed to Barugahara to intervene in the delayed construction works on the Kabale–Lake Bunyonyi Road, saying the project has taken more than a year without completion despite construction having commenced.
Birungi says the prolonged delay has raised concerns among residents who expected the road works to progress within a reasonable period.He wants the minister to engage the officials and contractors responsible for the project to establish the reasons for the delay and provide a clear timeline for completion.
“The construction has taken more than a year without completion, yet residents expected the works to progress within a reasonable period. We want the minister to find out what is causing the delay and ensure those responsible explain when the road will be completed,” Birungi says.
Beyond road infrastructure, Tobias Musekura, a resident of Kabale Municipality, has raised concerns over the implementation of the Parish Development Model, alleging that some local PDM committee chairpersons are not prioritising the households the programme was intended to support.
Musekura claims that some committee chairpersons favour financially stable residents while poorer households, which need assistance to improve their livelihoods, are left out.
He further alleges that some residents are asked to pay bribes to access PDM funds, placing an additional burden on people who are already struggling financially.
Musekura also claims that some residents have been excluded from the programme because they were not born in the villages where they currently reside.
“We want the minister to investigate how beneficiaries are selected because some of the people who need this support are being left out, while others who are financially stable are benefiting. There are also allegations of people being asked to pay bribes before accessing the funds,” Musekura says.He wants Barugahara to ensure that eligible households receive support without discrimination or demands for illegal payments.
In the education sector, Aturinda Akampurira, a resident of Kabale, has called on the minister to investigate alleged charges imposed on learners in some government schools.
Akampurira alleges that some schools demand between 50,000 and 70,000 shillings, or more, from learners, raising concerns about the financial burden placed on parents despite government policy on fees in public schools. The charges disproportionately affect families with limited incomes, with some learners reportedly dropping out of school and returning home because their parents cannot afford the money.
“Some government schools are reportedly demanding between 50,000 and 70,000 shillings or more from learners. This is a heavy burden for parents who cannot afford the money, and some children are reportedly leaving school because their families cannot meet the charges,” Akampurira asserts.
He wants Barugahara to visit affected communities and establish the circumstances under which the payments are demanded.Akampurira adds that the relevant authorities should investigate the allegations and ensure that children are not denied an opportunity to study because of their families’ financial difficulties.
The residents want the minister’s visit to go beyond meetings and assurances, calling for engagement with the responsible officials and practical steps to address the challenges affecting their communities.
They hope the visit will lead to explanations for the delays in the Bugongi and Kabale–Lake Bunyonyi road projects, investigations into alleged irregularities in the Parish Development Model, and clarification of the reported charges imposed on learners in government schools.
The allegations raised by the residents have not been independently verified, and responses from the relevant authorities were not included in the information available for this report.