The heavy rains are hampering the construction of the Fort Portal-Bundibugyo-Lamia road.
Since Monday, there have been rains and no construction work has been going on because the road is slippery.
Some of the road equipment have since been parked on the road side while long-haul trucks are stuck in the middle of the road.
Construction of the 103-kilometre road started last year by CICO, a Chinese construction firm.
From the junction at Kichwamba Technical School to Bwambule trading centre, 15 kilometers to Karugutu trading centre in Ntoroko district, the road is flooded and slippery. Some casual laborers can be seen using hoes and rakes to remove the mud.
The situation is also worsened by the huge rocks which ocassionally roll and block some parts of the road, forcing CICO staff to carry them away. Whenever that happens, motorists are forced to wait for a while as the labourers clear the road.
At the busy Rwekata trading centre, there is no construction work going on. Trucks loaded with sand are parked on the road side waiting for some parts of the road to dry up.
Wei Tao, the site engineer at Karugutu, says the slipperiness of the road is due to motorists who are using the road as construction work continues because there is no alternative route for vehicles.
Meanwhile three people have been arrested for stealing fuel from the construction company‘s trucks parked at company’s site at Karugutu trading centre.
Steven Ahura, Mark Baluku and James Mbalungu were arrested this morning by police while selling the fuel to drivers of commuter taxis which ply the Karugutu-Bundibugyo road. The fuel was being sold in jerry cans.
Fred Asiimwe, the CICO site engineer says that the suspects have been conniving with some of their staff to steal fuel. He says that the fuel is stolen at night from some of the trucks which are parked by the road side.
David Ojok, the officer in-charge Karugutu police post says that more police officers will be deployed at the site.
