More than 300 residents from Nakibizzi and Ntinda villages in Buikwe district have staged a demonstration to protest the appalling state of a 6 kilometre road stretch connecting Nakibizzi village to Ntinda. The angry locals accuse Mathias Kigongo, the LC 5 chairperson and his leadership of failing to construct Nakibizi –Ntinda road.
They claim that the Nakibizzi – Ntinda road stretch was budgeted for in the 2011/2012 budget but was never maintained the whole year. On Thursday evening, the residents dug several trenches, planted bananas and barricaded the road stretch with stones and big logs in protest.
Lawrence Kalibala, a cabbage farmer from Ntinda village, says he has in the past one month been forced to use bicycles to transport his cabbages to the markets in Nakibizzi and Njeru. He says that it is tiresome and time-wasting as one has to move several times to satisfy the demand of the buyers from distant places.
Abu Kisakye, one of the people living in the area, says that despite their pleas to Njeru to town council to have the road rehabilitated, nothing has been done in the last one year. He told URN that the road is used by heavy vehicles carrying merchandize to and from Buikwe and Kiyindi landing site by traders.
Kisakye says residents have vowed not to open the road until the district leadership begins major repairs on Nakibizzi –Ntinda road.
Peter Nabangi, a driver claims that for the past several weeks, more than 15 heavily loaded vehicles broke down because of the bad road. He blames the LC5 chairperson for negligence adding that he should have been at the forefront to advocate for the rehabilitation of the road as the district head.
Robert Mabonga, the LC5 councilor supports the residents’ action. He says that he has repeatedly petitioned the sub county LC3 chairperson to include the road in the district budget but the chairman has always refused.
Mathias Kigongo, Buikwe LC5 Chairman, however, says after the district acquired new road equipment, Nakibizzi – Ntinda road is going to be graded in the next few weeks.
