Africa-Press – Uganda. Movement between Kalungu and Gomba has remained cut off a month after flash floods washed away culverts at River Katonga, which connects the two districts.
On May 13, the floods damaged the culverts, paralysing transport in the area.
Currently, motorists from Kalungu connecting to Gomba use the Sembabule-Kisozi-Kifampa Road or Masaka-Kampala Road and branch off at Kayabwe in Mpigi District, which makes the journey longer by 120 km and 95km, respectively .
Leaders from both districts recently improvised and put two wooden canoes, which help travellers to cross to either side of the river after paying between Shs5,000 and Shs10,000.
Mr Godfrey Kalema, a cattle dealer from Bugomola Village, Kalungu District, said trade between Gomba and Kalungu has been affected because goods cannot cross on either side of the river.
“Business people are choking on loans and at the same time, they are incurring extra costs to transport their goods through Sembabule to access markets in Kampala,” he said in interview on Tuesday
Mr David Ssegawa, the chairperson of Lwabenge Sub-county, Kalungu District, said President Museveni, during the previous campaign rally in the area, promised to tarmac the road.
”President Museveni’s government promised to tarmac this road as a reward to our parents who helped him during the liberation war but it has remained in a poor state all these years,” Mr Ssegawa said
He said although routine maintenance on the road has been made for over the last three decades, flood water from River Katonga continues to damage it during the rainy season.
While inspecting the damaged Katonga Bridge on Kampala-Masaka highway last month, Works and Transport Minister Gen Edward Katumba Wamala said the government had already identified contractors to fix the bridge and other roads affected by flooding on River Katonga.
Mr Moses Nyakana, the Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra ) station manager in Masaka Subregion, said they are currently mobilising construction materials to fix the road .
“We are not seated as Unra, some work is being done, I am sure our spokesperson at head office Mr Allan Ssempebwa has details,” he said
Last December, culverts at the same spot on River Katonga were also washed away, which paralysed transport in the area for several days and the problem was sorted after Unra executive director Allen Kagina visited the site.
BACKGROUND
River Katonga Bridge, which is a major gateway to key regional borders like Tanzania and DR Congo collapsed following devastating flash floods that swept through the area on May 11. River Katonga flows through a number of districts, including Mubende, Kiruhura, Sembabule, Butambala, Ibanda, Bukomansimbi, Mityana, Kalungu, Gomba and Mpigi before it drains into Lake Victoria.
For More News And Analysis About Uganda Follow Africa-Press
