Close to 1,000 people face severe food shortge after Kanyamateke bridge diversion

Residents of Buhozi parish in Busanza Sub County face severe food shortage after much of their crop gardens were submerged by waters diverted due to the construction of Kanyamatekye bridge.

The affected people reside in six villages of Gahiza, Kamukumu, Ruvumu, Kiriba, Kanyencucu, and Kibale who all ply their farming in Gahiza lowland, also known as Kibaaya.

Located at river Kaku along Kanyamateke-Busanza-Nyabwishenya road, the bridge connects Busanza,Kirundo  and Nyabwishenya  sub counties.  Constructed using wooden logs in 2011; nothing had ever been done to upgrade it after the logs got old.

Construction of the 2.093 bridge started in April this year, with the water being diverted from its original course to ease works.

The diverted waters however found their way into people’s gardens, submerging their crops, now for 6 months.

Residents say the channel that was dug up by the contractor was too narrow to accommodate the large volume of water, during the rainy season.

Gahiza village Local Council Chairman, Stephen Ssemanywa, says his villagers are at the verge of severe food shortage. He urges leaders to rescue his people who have no alternative source of food.

“The people are suffering with no food. Some will die of hunger because our only source of food got flooded. We appeal for relief from the government because we have nowhere else to go. We have all been depending on this lowland for cultivation of food crops,” said the local council leaders.

Margaret, a 72-year-old woman regrets that their garden crops were flooded when they were expecting a bounty harvest.

The residents from the six villages grow food crops that include yams, beans, sweet potatoes, irish potatoes, sugar canes and others in the Kibaya lowland.

Busanza Sub County Chairperson, Muntuki Didas says that close to 1,000 people have been crippled by this disaster. He blames both the contractor, Geses Uganda Ltd and Kisoro District local government for failing to sensitise the community before construction works commenced.

“We celebrated upon the news that the long-awaited bridge would be constructed. We however regret that this has come a long way with this problem of food shortage. Over 900 people from six villages depend on this area for food. There was no sensitisation so that these people would at least not waste their seed.”

Mr Muntuki regrets that part of the lowland was leased to a local farmers’ cooperative which leaves them counting losses.

He adds that the affected farmers are preparing to lodge a lawsuit against the contractor and district leadership.

“Over 200 acres of this land had been leased to Nyumba cooperative, while others were individual farmers. We suggest that the office of the RDC, the Kisoro district administration and the contractor come to here and address this problem,” said Muntuki, as he threatened to seek legal redress.

According to Muntuki, normal procedures were not followed by the contractor before works kicked off.

Contractor speaks out

But Nkurunungyi Peter, a director at Geses Uganda Limited told www.vomuhabura.com that Kisoro leadership is to blame for not sensitising the community living near the project.

“Every development comes with negative effects to the community. The crops may be destroyed, but when the bridge in complete, the farmers will have means of transporting their produce to market places for years and years. The district did not sensitize the people about the negative impacts of the projects and that’s not us to blame. As a company, we are not responsible for those damages.”

According to Nkurunungyi, poor financing of the project has also retarded their target to complete works by the end of this year, as earlier communicated.

“Our target was that the bridge is complete by the end of this year, but we have had a few challenges which we have been addressing, including funding which was not readily available. But we shall work within our means to deliver a good job,” said Nkurunungyi.

Voice of Muhabura understands that the contractor faced challenges including access to raw materials, funding and an unfavourable rainy season.