Three Road construction sites have been suddenly abandoned in Masaka town, sparking off anger and protests among road users and traders.
Last year, Masaka Municipal council contracted Axis Lines Construction Company limited to rehabilitate three roads in Katwe-Butego division, in Central business town of Masaka. The roads are Victoria Street, Yellow Line and Hobart Street.
According to the bids documents pinned on Masaka Municipality notice board, the construction contract was awarded at the cost of Ushs. 398 million, and work is expected to be completed before the next financial year.
But Axis Construction Company has abandoned the construction site, leaving huge hips of marrum and sand in the middle of the road.
Both Victoria and Yellow Line Streets link Kimanya –Kyabakuza division to the central business town of Masaka in the South.
Mariam Tusiime, the Masaka Municipality Youths Councilor and Sadam Tamale, the Katwe-Butego division finance committee chairperson say no construction has taken place since March this year. Mariam Tusiime explains that workers of Axis Company simply closed the roads, poured marrum and abandoned the construction.
Tusiime claims that for the last three weeks, no construction has taken place indicating that the contractors could have abandoned the project. Tusiime explains that the closure of the roads has paralyzed transport to Kimanya Estate where some boda cyclists have hiked fares from 500 to 1500 as result of going around Kyotera road and then connect to their homes.
Tusiime says she is planning to storm the office of the Town Clerk to explain why the construction of these roads has suddenly stopped.
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At Hobart Street, the other abandoned site, several hips of marrum and construction materials litter the entire street. Several shops along this Street mostly whole sale traders are cut off from offloading their goods off the trucks because the road was closed to give way for construction. Already, the traders are up in arms against Masaka Municipal council for closing the road yet the construction has stalled.
Sadam Tamale, the Katwe-Butego division finance secretary says the stalled road construction is affecting revenue collection for the division. Tamale, who is also a trader along Horbert Street, says traders have refused to pay license fees until the road construction is complete.
Tamale also says the Street Parking Tenderer has also slashed the money paid to the Municipal council claiming that their business has been affected by the road works.
Tamale says he is worried as revenue collection is likely to fall by 30 percent.
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Ahmed Musoke, a trader along Hobert Street claims that he had not been able to sell any goods because clients no longer want to visit his shop because they have no access.
Augustine Tulibarungi, the Project manager inspecting the construction of these roads, could not be reached to give his views on matter.
But Johnson Munono Baryantuma, the Masaka Town Clerk has called for calm. He says that the team he appointed to investigate why the sites were abandoned has found out that Axis Line Construction management halted the construction because of weather changes.
Baryantuma explains that the company is waiting for the dry season to resume work. He argues that the company decided to suspend construction because the rainy season would not allow the tarmacking of these roads since the bitumen materials used could easily damaged by water.
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In 2007, Edward Kiwanuka, the former town clerk was arrested and interdicted for embezzlement of funds meant for construction of Bwala Road which was also abandoned before completion.
