By Priscah Atuhaire and Priscilla Owomugisha,
NTUNGAMO:
Over 35 years of voting the incumbent government and renown to voting National Resistance Movement (NRM) leaders right from Presidency to Local Council One in the last 3 decades, residents of Rushenyi county in Ntungamo District are still rejected and abandoned by the same government regarding infrastructure and economic development.
The sorry state of roads, public schools and hospitals in the areas is nothing but a true indicator of how the area has been left out to government development programmes.
Having realised this, residents of Kyempene-Rugarama Subcounty in Rushenyi County in Ntungamo District have raised funds to construct a 3-kilometre road to enable them access schools, hospitals and markets.
The mobilization exercise conducted through churches and villages and WhatsApp; “Rushenyi New Era and Kyempene” WhatsApp groups saw Mr. Alex Kwesiga Nkabarenga as the chief Mobiliser for the funds.
The locals joined hands with their area MP Hon. Naome Kabasharira and the local leadership to construct Kyamuteera – Mugyera Hill Road.
Construction works commenced on December 28th, 2021 and are sought to end in seven days. The road connects Omukayenje trading center in Kashenyi 1 Village and connects via Kyamuteera Hill, to Mugyera Catholic Church along Ikona-Omukikoona road.
A resident who preferred anonymity told Parrots UG that they decided to construct a 3km rocky foot path after several years of begging government in vain.
Residents said the road will enable them cut distance and resources of connecting the subcounty as well as linking Rushenyi County in Ntungamo to Rubabo County in Rukungiri District.
In the construction exercise, women make their contribution by cooking for the men who are involved in the road construction. They also supply water used in the construction and for the men to quench their thirst as they give a hand. Others are contributing food stuffs, such as cassava, matooke, beans to support the works. The area has not had an access road between Mugyera and Kyamutera locations for years, with locals saying the opening of the road will help learners access Kyamuteera Primary School, Nyakarambi Primary School and Ihunga-Mugyera Basin Secondary School.The locals say they the road network will save them moving a longer distance of 7 kilometers to connect the area that has now reduced to 3kilometres.
Charles Katwaza, head of the village road taskforce said on a daily basis, the excavator machine consumes a minimum 250litres of diesel fuel per 8 hours a day for 7 days which people have been asked to contribute to.
He said locals have voluntarily offered their land including part of their banana plantations on the slopes of the hill, gardens and farms to the project to enable connectivity.
They accuse government and the district local government administration of not considering to develop the area despite their legitimacy to support government political programmes.
