Regular travelers along the Kampala-Masaka highway are concerned about the deteriorating state of Katonga Bridge.
The Katonga Bridge is the major crossing over Katonga River. It is located about 80 kilometers from Kampala in Mpigi district.
Several travelers who Uganda Radio Network spoke to today said they are filled with dread whenever their vehicles cross the bridge. There are wide and deep cracks on the bridge and mild tremors can be felt on the structure whenever a heavy vehicle passes on it.
The bridge is so narrow and weak that two large vehicles cannot pass over it at the same time.
Dennis Kiwalabye, is a corporate worker based in Rakai. He asks Government to repair the bridge immediately. He says that failure to do so may cause a catastrophe in the not too distant future.
//Cue in: iWithin a few months #i
Cue out: i# cause a catastrophe.i//
Susan Kataite, the Senior Public Relations Officer in the Ministry of Works, could not provide definite answers when asked about the bridge. She however said the Ministry of Works will contact the responsible District Engineer to analyze the problem in order for Government to act upon it soon.
Katonga Bridge is the theoretical division between central and western Uganda. It has been used in the past as an important entry into Kampala.
In October 1985, Museveni's National Resistance Army fought a bloody battle at Katonga killing 17 government soldiers and capturing 82 others. The victory of the insurgents at Katonga was seen as the beginning of the National Resistance Army's final offensive that led to their coup d'etat the next year.
