Citizens of Bufunjo Sub County suffer road blocks imposed by the police

The local citizens of Bufunjo Sub County in Kyenjojo District have increasingly suffered road blocks that are imposed by the police. “On Monday 14^th October 2013, the police in Bufunjo Sub County set up road blocks on different roads to forcefully get money from the local citizens for building a police station. These road blocks caused accidents, paralyzed people’s businesses and also disrupted people’s movements”, said Tibeeha John Bosco, the secretary of Bufunjo People’s Forum in Bufunjo Sub County, Kyenjojo District.

While appearing on the Listeners Forum live radio discussion, at Better FM on Sunday, 20^th October 2013, John Bosco appealed to the local leaders to stop charging local people money that they are not supposed to be charged. “Charging local people money that they are not supposed to be charged is denying them their rights and imposing them to sufferings. It is not the duty of local people to build police stations and this is not their priority. There are people’s priority needs such as roads like Bikoma and Bitonga that are in a sorry state and health centers like Bufunjo Health Center III that has only one ward that is shared by men, women and children with over a population of thirty nine thousand (39,000) patients on a yearly basis”.

Panelists during the live radio discussion

Other participants who appeared on the live radio discussion were Solomon Akugizibwe, Media and Communications Officer at ToroDev and Muntu K Willy, a local citizen of Bweramule Sub County in Ntoroko District. 

During the discussion, Mr. Akugizibwe indicated how radios had done a very big impact in improving service delivery in Kyenjojo District. “Kahompo Bridge on River Kahompo in Bufunjo Sub County was disrupting people’s movements with floods. Farmers could not market their produce and the affected places had no schools and health centers and also remained un developed. But when the rural monitors came on radio and talked about the issue, a bridge was constructed. However, shoddy work was done on the constructed bridge because cracks have already developed on the culverts that were fixed”.

The 2 hour program was moderated by Mukonyezi Wilfred who also allowed local citizens to participate in the discussions through call-ins and SMS.