Residents and local leaders of Kamira Sub County in Luweero have rejected a report released by the district showing roads worked on under the Livelihood Support program arguing that it is fake. Recently, Stella Nakibuka, the District Information issued a 2011/2012 financial year performance report detailing projects that were implemented under the District Livelihood Support program (DLSP) with support from the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD).
The report shows that Luweero district pumped 505 million shillings in implementing various projects, which included the graveling of Kyangabakama-Matembe - Kuddumali and Mabuye-Bugabo –Kiwanguzi roads, which are found in Kamira Sub County. The report has sparked angry reactions from residents and area leaders, who insist no work has been done on the said roads. They claim that the funds allocated for the roads could have been swindled by officials and in the district works department and KENCOM Uganda Limited, the company that was contracted to undertake the works.
Livingstone Kategeya, the LC 3 chairman Kamira sub county says that the two roads have been appearing in the district budget for two years but they have not been worked upon. He however says that they were shocked to see Kyangabakama-Matembe - Kuddumali and Mabuye-Bugabo –Kiwanguzi roads appearing in the completed road projects in the district report. Kategeya explains that the contracted cleared bushes for about 2 kilometers along the road and abandoned it leaving it in a very poor state. He says that the state of the road has complicated transport in area, but they were stunned to see the district boasting about the improved welfare of residents.
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Ephrance Nakyazze, a resident of Kyampologoma village says that the roads are impassable, adding that transport fares to the area have almost doubled. She says that passengers currently fork out up to shillings 20,000 to travel to and from Luweero compared to the shillings 10,000 their paid previously. Nakyazze says that they were hopeful that once the roads are rehabilitated the transport fares would come down.
She alleges that her grandchild narrowly survived death when she failed to raise transport to rush him to Kasana Health Center 1V for an emergency operation. She claims that several farmers in the area are stuck with their produce after buyers abandoned the area because of the bad road network.
Fred Musisi, a member of Kamira sub county works committee says that the contract didn’t execute any work on Mabuye-Bugabo–Kiwanguzi road but they were also shocked to see photographs in the report indicating that the roads were graveled. He accuses district engineers and contractor of doctoring photographs and forging accountability with intentions of embezzling the road fund.
The area leaders have given the district an ultimatum of three weeks to work on the roads or else they mobilize their voters to march to the district headquarters to protest the embezzlement of the road funds. The residents have asked Christopher Kyomya, the Luweero Chief Administrative officer to investigate the works department for the mismanagement of road funds, or else they would petition the local government minister.
Christopher Kyomya concurred with the residents saying the contractor worked on part of the road. He however, blamed the delay to complete the road work on late release of funds by the local government ministry. Kyomya dismissed the report released by the information officer and promised to grill her for misleading the public on the progress of the program.
