It was a moment of joy and relief on Wednesday as Rubanda District Authorities launched the long awaited rehabilitation of Kashaasha-Ihunga road.
The 13.4 Km road project connecting Ikumba Subcounty and Nshanjare Town Council will be rehabilitated at a tune of shs.1.6 billion by the International Fertilizer Development Centre-IFDC and Rubanda District Local Government.
While speaking at the launching ceremony in Ihunga, Nshanjare Town Council, the Rubanda District LC.5 Chairperson Ampeire Stephen Kasyaba said that rehabilitation of the road was long overdue because for years, it had been one of the recurring demands from the locals, despite the annual maintenance done by the District to keep it in shape.
Kasyaba explained that when the IFDC notified him that they had a budget to support road works in his District, he immediately thought of Kashaasha-Ihunga road. He revealed that the Uganda Wild Life Authority –UWA had promised to provide funding for maintaining the road once it is finished.
Kasyaba also noted that the Bukimbiri County Mp Eddie Kwizera had assured him that the Ministry of works would extend the road to the neighbouring Lubuguri Town Council in Kisoro District, when the ongoing construction reaches Nshanjare Town Council in Rubanda. He thanked the IFDC and their main funder, the Dutch Government for helping to ease mobility and accessibility in the remote areas of the District.
“The District is going to contribute an initial shs.300 million to this project, but as you can see. We wouldn’t have gone far without support from the IFDC,” Kasyaba said.
Speaking at the event, the Ikumba LC.5 Councilor Kenneth Muhindi expressed excitement about the project, confessing that he had been deliberately antagonizing the LC.5 Chairman and his executive because he felt that Kashaasha –Ihunga road had been neglected. Muhindi said he had “repented” and pledged maximum support to Chairman Kasyaba as he performs his duties in the District.
Rubanda District Speaker of Council Mary Waguma testified that Councilor Muhindi had become a thorn in their flesh, disrupting council sessions and always in opposition because of the Kashaasha-Ihunga road.
“I want to thank Governor Kasyaba and your cabinet for considering this road, and my Council for approving the project because it’s a moment of relief” Ms. Waguma said.
The Rubanda District Engineer John Habimana said that the road project would take three months, with a maximum of six months in case of challenges such as rainfall. He added that the road width would be 5-8 meters, depending on the settlements along the way.
“We wouldn’t want to cause a lot of damage on people’s property since this project doesn’t include compensation.” He said.
The Engineer further explained that the construction works would start from Kitahurira Trading Centre in Nyamabare parish of Ikumba Subcounty, and the ending point would be in Nshanajare Town Council, with a number of culverts installed on the way.
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