Enock Ndyamuhakyi
RUBANDA – Road users along the Karungu-Kerere road that connects Mpungu and Ruhonwa parishes in Rubanda District have raised a concern over the deteriorating section at Nyakanengo which was washed away by heavy rains recently.
The damaged section has left the road nearly impassable, forcing residents to create a temporary path through a nearby farm to enable movement between the two areas. The road also connects to the Harmurwa–Kerere–Kanungu road, making it an important route for transport and trade in the area.
Residents say the poor state of the road named after the Late Prof. George Kanyeihamba has disrupted their daily transportation of goods and access to essential services.
Rogers Akansasira, a boda boda rider operating at Nyakanengo Trading Centre, says the situation has significantly affected his livelihood.
“This road has become very difficult to use. We can no longer cross to the other side easily, and that means we lose customers. My boda boda business has been affected because people cannot travel through this section anymore,” Akansasira said.
Lauben Tumutendereze, a resident of Muzirante Village, says the road damage has made it difficult for farmers to transport produce to local markets.
“Farmers here grow crops like Irish potatoes and sweet potatoes, but transporting them to Nyakanengo Market has become a big challenge because vehicles and motorcycles cannot pass through the damaged section,” Tumutendereze explained.
Residents also say school-going children and patients seeking medical services have been affected by the situation.
The Chairperson of Muzirante Village, Luciano Katurebe, says the road has been in a deplorable state for more than a year.
“This road has been in a very bad condition for over a year now. When people fall sick, they struggle to reach health centres because vehicles cannot easily access this area,” Katurebe said.
Similarly, Williamson Makanika, the LC1 Chairperson of Kyihengamo Village, noted that the poor road network has slowed development in the area.
“Development has slowed because farmers cannot transport their produce to markets. We call upon the district authorities to visit our area and work with the community to find a lasting solution,” Makanika added.
However, the Rubanda District Chief Administrative Officer, Samuel Ahabwe, says the district leadership is aware of the problem and that the road has already been included in the district development plans.
“We are aware of the deplorable state of the Karungu–Kerere road. The district had earlier tried to work on it, but the magnitude of the damage has overwhelmed our available resources,” Ahabwe said.
He added that the issue was recently discussed during a district meeting where the area Member of Parliament, Minister Henry Musasizi, tasked the district engineer to prepare a comprehensive report on the road.
“The district engineer was directed to prepare a detailed report indicating what is required to permanently fix the road. This report will be presented during the next district road committee meeting scheduled for April,” Ahabwe explained.
Residents are now hopeful that the planned discussions will lead to urgent intervention to restore the road and improve transport in the area.