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Transport along Hoima-Kakumiro-Mubende Road Blocked by Floods

Residents say the river burst its banks a month ago and the water levels have continued to surge despite the setting in of the dry season.
Students plan to cross the flooded river after boarding off a vehicle from Hoima
Transport along the Hoima - Kakumiro road has stalled, because River Kabale, which separates Hoima and Kibaale districts, has flooded.

Residents say the river burst its banks a month ago and the water levels have continued to surge despite the setting in of the dry season.

Vehicles can now hardly cross the river and those that dare to cross have to offload luggage and get pushed across by a team of youths at a fee.

Passengers are also carried shoulder high to cross the river. The transport hurdles have angered the road users who demand attention of the authorities to fix the problem.

Benson Alija, a taxi driver says his vehicle engine got spoilt by water. He says non of the leaders has come out to compel Uganda National Roads Authority to re-install the washed away culverts.

The driver threatens to withdraw from work and mobilize his colleagues to do the same until the problem is fixed.

Patrick Asiimwe, a truck driver sat in his stuck timber loaded lorry truck pondering the next move. Asiimwe says his vehicle got stuck in water early on Friday morning as he tried to cross the river on his way to Hoima from Kakumiro.

By 4:00pm  Asiimwe hired people to offload the timber, before they could push the vehicle out of the water.

The driver says he would spend not less than 200,000 shillings to offload the timber. He demanded that Uganda National Roads Authority comes in to construct the bridge to avert these transport hurdles.

Traders from Hoima use the road to travel to Kakumiro to buy Matooke and Sweet potatoes best grown in the area.

Topha Akugizibwe, a Hoima trader says he will only resume his trade trips to Kibaale after the bridge is reconstructed.

It’s not the first time the river is flooding. Fred Tumusiime a resident of Musaijamukuru in the border sub county of Buhimba in Hoima district says the river floods every year especially after heavy rains although not to this level.

Uganda National Roads Authority has started bringing murrum and stones at the site to begin the bridge construction works.

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