By Misairi Thembo Kahungu
The Ishaka-Katunguru road that had turned into a death trap has since become an enabler to booming trade and tourism, three years later.
The rehabilitation of the 58.2km road cost government Shs188b.
The contractor, Mota-Engil, says the road is set for commissioning. It runs from Ishaka Town in Bushenyi District to Kasese District through Rubirizi District and Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Motorists used to take more than two hours on the road to cover a distance that would normally take about 30 minutes on tarmac.
Not only tourists, who visit Queen Elizabeth National Park, found challenges but also farmers in Bushenyi and the Greater Ankole, were struggling to transport their agricultural products such as matooke and cattle to the Mpondwe border post.
Smooth traffic flow has now returned to the road that also serves various tea estates and factories in Bushenyi District.
Mr Kenneth Karuhanga, the site engineer, told Daily Monitor in an interview last week that the road would serve a life span of at least 15 years.
Drivers excited
The road has also excited motorists, especially taxi drivers. Mr Edson Mbabazi, a taxi driver, said they now take two hours to travel from Mbarara and Kasese instead of the earlier four hours.
“The road was too bad and we would struggle passing through some places, especially Katunguru and Kyambura. But now, it is easy although we have a problem of many humps,” Mr Mbabazi said.
But Mr Karuhanga said the humps were put in place due to the terrain from Bushenyi towards Kasese.
Roadside traders also say they have been saved from the dust.
“We have been given a good parking space and we are able to interact freely with the passengers, who are our main customers on a daily basis. There is hope that we are also going to have more lorries coming here to buy our matooke in bulk for the market in Kampala and Kasese,” Ms Jane Arinaitwe, a resident of Rutoto in Rubirizi District, said.
Tourism
Prof Tarsis Kabwegyere, the former minister for General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister, said the road is boosting tourism in Rubirizi and Kasese district.
“I am appealing to the tour operators that now you have a fortune at hand. You will no longer fail to access the game park [Queen Elizabeth] because of the potholes. It is now a challenge to our people to make use of this good road,” he said.
CHURCH ROAD ALSO UPGRADED
Mota-Engil has completed the additional assignment to construct the 2.6km stretch to West Ankole Diocese, which is also the home of Bweranyangi Girls Secondary School, just outside Bushenyi Town.
Bishop Johnson Twinomujuni commended the President for listening to the plea of the church. “The President assured us during my consecration on May 28 that Mota-Engil, which was already working on Ishaka-Katunguru road, would not leave without constructing the road to the seat of our diocese, which is this cathedral. They have also marked a good parking area for us,” the Bishop said.
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