By Chris Mugasha
Following the increasing cases of road accidents along the Ishaka-Bushenyi-Mbarara highway due to the poor state of the road, residents have written a protest letter to government.
Through their citizenry movement Make Bushenyi Great Again (MBUGA), the residents have since given government 14days to intervene and rectify the situation on the road or they close it.
The road in question is one of the busiest roads that connect the Western region. It also connects tourists to a number of tourism destination areas that include; Queen Elizabeth National park, Mt. Rwenzori, Kitagata Hot springs, Lake. Mburo national park, Karinju and Katsyoha-Kitomi forests, Bwindi impenetrable among others.
What bothers people is that high ranking government officials including the Deputy speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa, Ministers……….. use the same road but they have ‘kept quiet’ instead of taking action against those that are responsible especially the Ministry.
The road was worked on in 1989 and since then it has undergone a number of repairs with a major one that was done in 2012.
The marked dangerous spots on this high way are; Kitojo-Kaziho stretch, Omukinanansi near Uganda Technical College (UTC)-Kahaya, Nyakabirizi main stage, Bushenyi town and near the Kampala International University (KIU)-Ishaka stage.
In a letter dated 15th May 2025 addressed to the Minister of Works and Transport, Pison Mugizi the MBUGA Commander In-Chief (CiC) said many people have perished in accidents because of the current state of the road which he described as terrible. MBUGA is a citizenry movement that holds civic and political leaders accountable to the people.
Mugizi said the situation has reached intolerable levels and poses more danger to both travelers and to the business community.
“We hereby issue a 14days ultimatum to the ministry of works and transport to start repairs on this road or seal potholes on the most dangerous road sections,” the letter reads in part.
Mugizi warned that, “Failure to take action will leave us with no choice but to mobolise citizens to block the road until our demands are met.”
Bushenyi District woman MP Speaks out
Presenting the matter at the floor of Parliament, the Bushenyi district woman MP Annet Katusiime Mugisha said, “It is very unfortunate and regrettable that despite our efforts to remind and lobby government to work on this road, it (road) has not been treated as a priority.”
Katusiime told parliament that since the beginning of this year, over 80 lives have been lost.
By press time, attempts to get a comment from both the Minister Gen. Katumba and the Ministry’s Spokesperson Susan Kataike remained futile as they could not respond to calls. End.
