Residents of Rugarama in Kabale are protesting a move by Axis Construction Company Limited to patch up the newly constructed Rugarama road after it was rejected by the authorities over shoddy work. Early 2012, Kabale municipality contracted Axis Construction Company Limited to level and tarmac Rugarama road. However, the road developed potholes as part of the tarmac started peeling off shortly after it was worked on.
Residents rose up in arms and petitioned the authorities to compel the contractor to redo the road works. As a result, the contractor started patching up part of the road drawing protests from residents. Michael Mugisha, a road user wonders why the contractor is patching up the road instead of doing fresh work. He asks the municipal authorities to blacklist the contractor because he is fond of doing shoddy work.
Isaac Birungi, says that road should have been left the way it was instead of deceiving motorists that it is being upgraded to tarmac. He also wants the contractor blacklisted to serve as an example to others. Sylvia Ayebazibwe, a proprietor of a tea room along the road says that when the contractor started working on the road they thought that they would escape the challenge of dust and mud but it is very unfortunate they have remained.
Dr Pius Ruhemurana, the mayor municipality who also doubles as the municipal works secretary says that they had a meeting the management of Axis Lines Construction Company and ordered the company to redo the work. But Ali Karama, the Kabale District works secretary blames Alex Tumwesigye, the municipal engineer for failing to do enough to ensure the contract complies.
He says that despite the fact that the engineer is aware that they rejected the road, he was shocked to see the contractor patching up the road as the engineer looks on. Alex Tumwesigye, Kabale municipal engineer denies any wrong saying that he plans to write to the contractor to comply with the directives from the authorities. Axis Lines Construction Company limited has not yet commented on the matter as their known telephone contact was switched off when URN tried reaching them.
