By Agatha N. Biira and Asenath Were
Uganda Christian University (UCU) students have expressed their views on the dusty roads around the university. With many of the roads around the university not in good condition, dust has become a problem that students have to live with, despite the health challenges that come with this.
Speaking to some of them about what they think should be done to solve this problem, this is what they said.
Jim James Gortland- BSIT 1
We all know the normal construction of roads here, how it is done and what is involved. I have done research on how other countries construct their roads, and I noticed that some of them use plastic. I think they can adopt that as a measure to resolve this, because then we would also be protecting the environment.
I do think the university has tried to solve this problem, but they need to put in more effort to ensure that the road is worked on. As students, we are feeling the pain of going through dust each day.
Norah Mbeiza- BBA 2
Why don’t they, as the university administration, work on the roads themselves? It looks like waiting for the government to construct the road takes a lot of time, and yet we are having it bad with the dust.
In the meantime, they can devise means to get water on the road so as to reduce the dust as we wait for it to be constructed.
Dickson Sserulika- BPLM 2
Well, for me, I think if UCU administration or stakeholders could talk to the government on this issue of dusty roads and they could get water trucks to pass through and pour water consequently, it would help.
That is the only solution for now. Maybe later on, they can talk about the construction of the roads because the dust is a lot.
Rebecca Suubi- BSAF 1
They really need to help us and fix those roads, especially from the Wandegeya gate to the other parts of the university.
They can also put tiny stones or murram on the roads for the interim if they cannot tarmac the road because the dust is too much. In most cases, when we reach school, we are dirty and you have to first go to the washrooms to clean up.
David Kato Kushaba- BSWASA 1
I think the government needs to construct better roads because we have seen roads being constructed and, a few years later, they are already in bad shape. In Rwanda, there are no such problems because the roads are in good condition.
There is no other solution to the dusty roads other than constructing them. Otherwise, there is nothing we can do. Even if you bring water trucks to pour water on the road, it will still be dusty the next day.
Bridget Akankunda- DBA 2
They need to work on that road soon enough because we are tired of getting sick from the dust. If it cannot be built, they can at least try to reduce dust by pouring water on the road in the meantime.