Local citizens of Kicwamba Sub County suffer poor roads

Local citizens of Kicwamba Sub County in Kabarole District are facing a challenge of the poor roads in their Sub County. The roads that are being used by lorries that carry pozzolana stones from Harugongo Sub County have failed to be maintained and are now so poor with a lot of potholes, and becoming impassable during the rainy season.

ToroDev's Recheal with a rural monitor at Kigeme road

Rural monitors of Kicwamba Sub County under their forum ‘Kicwamba Forum for Development and Service Delivery’ have used ICT tools like radios to advocate for better roads but all has been in vain. “We have gone on radio and appealed to different leaders both at the district and national level about the poor status of our roads, but their intervention has been poor. Some of the roads that are in a sorry state include Kigeme road, Kikonge road, Harugongo road, among others”, said Birungi Kenneth, a member of the forum.

The rural monitors have also approached their local leaders at the Sub County level to work on the poor roads. “We approached our LC1 Chairperson and discussed with him about the issue of the poor roads in our Sub County, but he said that the issue was beyond his powers. We went further and approached the LC III Chairman and some councilors, who later mobilized money from the drivers who transport pozolamma, and did spot marraming on some of the roads, but still they remained poor and impassable most especially in the rainy season”, said Rwaheru Gilbert, the Chairperson of the forum.

Rural monitors also indicated how the poor roads have affected transport most especially on farmers who need to access markets. “Farmers in Kicwamba Sub County are facing a challenge of transporting their produce like bananas, coffee, cassava, and sweet potatoes to the markets due to the impassable muddy roads that have a lot of pot holes. We are therefore appealing to our leaders to set a chargeable tax on every driver who transports pozolama from Harugongo so that these roads are maintained”, said Bebumba Bernard, a member of the forum.

The advocacy forums are supported by SIDA/CIPESA on a project aimed at using appropriate ICT tools to promote democratic engagement in the Rwenzori Region, Western Uganda.