KASESE: Eighteen passengers were injured in a Monday morning accident when a Link Bus, registration number UAW354V overturned near Kikorongo, on the Bwera- Kasese Road.
Rwenzori East Regional Police commander, Julius Tusingwire, confirmed that the driver of the Kampala-bound bus, belonging to Link Company, lost control and overturned.
“I dispatched a team to help those that were injured as ambulances from near by hospitals, like Kilembe hospital, transport causalities off the accident scene,” said Tusingwire.
“The driver of the LinkBus is reported to have fled the scene,” added Tusingwire.
Those injured were rushed to Kikorongo/Kilembe hospital for treatment.
The incident comes at a time when landslides last Friday cut off Kabale-Katuna road at Kyonyo leaving several passengers stranded and transport paralyzed this morning.
The landslides were triggered by heavy rains that started on Thursday night.
There are reports that other sections of the road around Kyonyo Trading Centre, Hamurwa along the Kabale-Kisoro road and Kabaraga along the Kabale-Mbarara road may collapse soon.
Why roads are collapsing
UNRA Executive director Allen Kagina in the past mentioned to journalists that Uganda prefers constructing cheaper roads, which can’t last for long.
Lask week, while reviewing the achievements of Ministry of works with in the last two years of NRM government since it was elected in power, Kagina said pricing of roads depend many things which include its design.
“The cheaper the design, it means the road will be cheap. And it can’t be used for 100 years,” she explained.
She added that due to limited funds available, UNRA construct roads at cheaper prices.
“At times, I submit a budget to Uganda National Funds asking for instance Shs500billion to construct a road. And they tell me that the money available is Shs200billion. This means, I will look for cheaper design,” she explained.
Kagina also explained that some road projects delay to kick off because of the country’s tenure land system.
“You have to compensate people. The compensation is done after Government Valuer has approved the value of the land. But also sometimes the owners of the land challenge the valuer’s recommendations,” she said.
Kagina was also asked to explain why Kabale –Kisoro road collapsed. She said the road was constructed well but heavy rains led to its collapse.
“But we are working hard to repair it and soon it will be reopened,” she added.
Kabale-Katuna temporally closed
The road Kabale-Katuna has been temporarily closed to allow the Uganda UNRA) to fix the section that collapsed.
According to Mr Augustine Kabanda, the UNRA area manager, geologists will also visit the area to ascertain the cause of the road collapse that has paralysed traffic on the road.
“We are doing our best to ensure that there is access and normal traffic flow on this road as soon as possible. The road is currently temporary closed for all vehicles until the damaged road section is fixed,” Mr Kabanda said.
Over 200 trucks on both sides of the border were on Sunday stranded as they waited for the road works to be completed, which Mr Kabanda said will take two days.
