By Yasiri J. Kasango
The users of Bishop Tucker Road in Mukono have complained about the state of the road. Those who sell items on it are battling with thick layers of dust falling on their merchandise. Some electronics shop owners have had to resort to purchasing electric blowers to remove the dust that accumulates daily.
The 4.7-mile road connecting the Kampala-Jinja highway to Namilyango, and which serves as the main route to Uganda Christian University (UCU) has become a source of frustration for the users. In December 2020, the situation improved when Mukono Municipality’s local council commenced renovations. Fresh tarmac was laid on the section from the bus stop on the Kampala-Jinja road to Wandegeya trading centre, just before the UCU small gate, covering a distance of approximately 0.4 kilometers. By mid-April 2021 however, the construction had stalled.
Rachael Nantume, a business woman who owns a restaurant along the road, noted that they suffer no matter the weather. “When it shines, the dust is too much, and once it rains, it is so muddy that to keep the place clean, we put papers so that clients can leave the mud there,” she said.
Mukono Municipal Council’s head engineer, Josiah Sserunjoji, expressed optimism that the road repairs would eventually be completed. “We are working alongside the central government to get the construction done,” he said, blaming the slow pace of the construction on the lack of funds.
The responsibility for the road is divided between the Mukono Municipal Council and the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA). The municipal council oversees the section from the bus stop on the Kampala-Jinja Road to the end of the UCU fence, using funds from locally collected taxes. Beyond this point, UNRA takes charge.
According to UCU’s Director of Facilities and Capital Projects, Eng. David Kivumbi, discussions between the university and the municipal council have been ongoing since 2010, with little progress.
“Sadly, we hit a dead end each time we hold the discussions,” Kivumbi lamented. “While they promise to work on the road, all they do is fill the potholes with murram, which easily erodes.”
Allan Ssempebwa Kyobe, the Manager of Media Relations, Public, and Corporate Affairs in the Executive Director’s office at UNRA, notes that the Bishop Tucker Road upgrade has now been handed over to the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), as the road passes through an industrial park. However, updates on the progress of these plans have been scarce, leaving those who depend on the road in a state of uncertainty.
“What we’ve been doing in the interim is maintenance. We run through [the road] with our machine to keep it motorable. But the major plan of the programme of upgrading is with UIA,” Ssempebwa said.
