By VOM News Team
The Executive Director of Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) Allen Catherine Kagina has agreed to speak to the people of Kisoro district, on Zoom and Live on Radio to discuss pertinent issues concerning the status of roads under her purview in the region.
Key among the issues to be dissected include the stalled road repairs along Kabale- Kisoro Road.
The road section at Bwaara village in Hamurwa town council, Rubanda district collapsed after a devastating landslide caused by floods.
Ubuntu Bafumbira United Association chairperson Hillary Bisanga says, the opportunity to engage Kagina presented itself, through a number of concerned citizens from Kisoro, who approached her on issues concerning the status of repairs on the Kabale- Kisoro highway as well as the upgrade of Kisoro Tourism roads.
Bisanga says the Executive Director agreed to appear on a Zoom call, tomorrow at 11:00am that will include Allen Kagina as the panelist, Counsel Alex Rezida as the moderator and Bisanga, himself as the host.
The dialogue will also be broadcast live on Voice of Muhabura radio 88.9 (www.vomuhabura.com) for live stream.
@UbuntuBafumbira has organised a webinar to deliberate on the status of repairs on Kabale- Kisoro highway and upgrade of Kisoro tourism roads. On the panel is @UNRA_ED Executive Director @UNRA_UG moderated by @ALEXREZIDA
Our patron.Follow discussion 👇 https://t.co/kpfKOvMgpn pic.twitter.com/sZ5ZAAwKYt
— Ubuntu Bafumbira United Association (@UbuntuBafumbira) July 25, 2023
The communities in Kisoro have been encouraged to formulate questions to ask the Executive Director for those who will be using Zoom platform.
This is what we already know:
The days and weeks that followed after the landslide that damaged Kabale- Kisoro highway included lofty promises from Government and UNRA on how works were going to be completed in a matter of three weeks.
UNRA at the time, in its wisdom advised that road traffic use the alternative routes including 88 kilometers via Katuna-Rubaya-Muko or the 20-kilometer Kabale-Lake Bunyonyi-Kachwekano-Rubona-Heisesero roads, a complete nightmare for many road users.
Today, no physical presence of UNRA equipment or personnel can be seen at the damaged road site.
This begs the question as to why such vital works were abandoned at the cost of a strategic trade route with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda.
Kabale- Kisoro highway also connects tourists to the home of the endangered mountain gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks.
Kisoro – Mgahinga Road (18.1Kms)
A UNRA report seeking Consultancy Services for Design Review and Construction Supervision of Kabale-Lake Bunyonyi and Kisoro-Mgahinga Road Upgrading Project states that the Government of Uganda received financing from the African Development Bank (AfDB) towards the cost of the Kabale-Lake Bunyonyi and Kisoro-Mgahinga road upgrading.
The objective of the Kisoro-Mgahinga Project is to upgrade the project road from gravel to paved standard to facilitate mobility, trade, and tourism within Southwestern Uganda.
The detailed engineering design for the upgrading works for Kisoro-Mgahinga Project was undertaken and completed in November 2019.
Voice of Muhabura has learnt that compensation of land owners from Nyarusiza Sub County whose properties are adjacent to the Kisoro – Mgahinga road have already received their compensation.
The details on amount of money that was paid out in total is still unknown as well as the time scheduled to commence rehabilitation works on the road.
The opportunity to have the UNRA ED Allen Kagina on Zoom and live on air is a momentous one which should not be squandered.
Special thanks to Ubuntu- United Bafumbira Association, an organization that brings together Bafumbira in the Diaspora and in Uganda for development, culture and unity.
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