The affected facilities include; Kakuuto Health IV, Minziiro Health Centre II, Nazareth Primary School Kannabulemu and Gwanda Primary Schools in Kyebe Sub County, and Kibumba primary school in Kasensero town council among others.
Kyotera district
local government is struggling to carry out repairs on public infrastructure destroyed
by an earthquake that struck the area eight years ago.
The affected
facilities include; Kakuuto Health IV, Minziiro Health Centre II, Nazareth
Primary School Kannabulemu and Gwanda Primary Schools in Kyebe Sub County,
and Kibumba primary school in Kasensero town council among others.
To date, the district is still stuck with the damaged infrastructure due to the
lack of funds to carry out the necessary repairs on them.
Patrick
Kintu Kisekulo, the Kyotera LCV Chairperson confirms that despite the dire need
in which the affected schools and health facilities are currently in, they are
financially constrained to carry out the repairs.
The walls at
the outpatients' department, the male and female wards, and the treatment room
at Kakuuto Health Centre IV have visible cracks that have since been widening and
weakening the structures.
Kisekulo
argues that shortly after the incident President Yoweri Museveni pledged that
government would directly support to repair of the affected infrastructure,
including the reconstruction of the broken-down houses, but the promise has
since never been fulfilled.
He indicates
that after waiting for the promised support in vain, the district resorted to
committing some resources from their limited budget, but this can also do very
little compared to the need.
Kisekulo
expressed disappointment that the President’s support pledged to the people of
the neighboring Republic of Tanzania, who were affected by the same catastrophe
was delivered, but the natives have waited in vain.
In the
meantime, Kisekulo has tasked the Kyotera Resident District Commissioner to
join the political leadership to vigorously follow up on the promise, saying
that the district cannot attend to the situation using its limited budget.
//Cue in: “eddwaliro lye Kakuuto….
Cue out; …..tusaba
tuyambibwe.”//
Regina
Nakimbugwe, a midwife at Kakuuto Health Centre IV says they are worried that
the buildings may collapse anytime because they are visibly worn out.
According to
Nakimbugwe, the staff prefers attending to patients from the verandahs, fearing
the risks of using the cracked buildings.
“We prefer
attending to patients in the open spaces, but the challenge comes in with those
that are meant for admission because the available options then become
limited,” she said.
Apollo Mugume, the Kyotera Resident District Commission says he inspected
some of the affected areas and reported the status of the facilities to the
office of the President, which he believes will respond accordingly.
He, however,
challenged the district leadership to also push for the solution through the
area Members of Parliament, such that they lobby for special funding from the
Ministry of Disaster Preparedness and other sources.
