KALANGALA.
Luuku-Bulabana-Kalangala Road which connects Kalangala’s Buggala Island to Bugoma ,where ferries connecting to Bukakkata on Masaka mainland dock, has become increasingly hazardous with frequent motor crashes which have claimed lives and left many injured .
The road section has remained in sorry state for a decade despite periodical maintenance works.
One of the latest fatal crashes on this stretch happened on January 3 where Wahabu Faisal Sonko ,a father of four from Mutambala Village in Mugoye Sub County who was transporting his dry coffee beans to Masaka on his motorcycle, tragically died in a head on collision.
Mr Twaha Kasirye ,the Southern regional police spokesperson says the crash occurred when another motorcyclist Mr Rogers Namanya,23 from Kagoonya landing site in Bujumba Sub County ,riding a motorcycle Reg.No UGE 470S collided with Sonko who was moving on a motorcycle Reg.No. UEJ 984M.
“Unfortunately, Sonko died on spot but Namanya sustained injuries and was rushed to Masaka Referral Hospital for further treatment,” he says
Similarly, in March 2024 ,Mr Geoffrey Lubega ,a prominent educationist and proprietor of Victoria Education Centre lost his life in a similar crash near Bumangi Village. Available police records show that he was knocked by a speeding boda boda that was heading to Kalangala from Bugoma, as he was heading back with a teacher to the school.
Mr Twaha Kasirye , the southern regional police spokesperson says he needs more time to compile data of all crashes that have occupied along the road
But Mr Rajab Semakula, the Kalangala District chairperson is quick to share that 15 traffic crashes have occurred along the route in the past 12 months resulting in eight fatalities and numerous injuries.
“Despite these traffic crashes , all health facilities along that route are ill equipped to manage emergency cases.
Take the example of SIAAP a health center II, Mugoye health center III , Bumangi health center III and Kasekulo Health Centre II –all these lack doctors and medicine to handle major injuries ,” he says
“As a district , we are trying to improve the services at those health centres ,but we resource constrained , we pray that government responds to our outcry to elevate Kalangala Health Centre IV to a hospital .
He says patients who cannot be handled my medics at Kalangala Health Centre IV are usually referred to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital , which is costly .
“One time a bodaboda rider got an accident at Lwonga village Bujumba Sub County and we had to carry his shattered body parts in an ambulance at Bugoma Ferry docking Pier to board a boat to Bakakkata on the mainland and later to Masaka . Such conditions lessen survival chances for most patients,” he explains
Ms Harriet Namisango, a resident of Kalangala Town narrates how one of the crash victims died in her own hands while trying to take him to the nearest health facility .
“I came across …………… accident involving five young girls . I rushed them to SIAAP Health Centre II but I to buy medicine first aide from outside before taking them to Kalangala Health Centre IV,” she said.
“ One of the girls called Maria Roy Nantongo died upon reaching the heath centre . We really need one health facility in Mugoye Sub County to get fully equipped to handle accident cases along that route ,” she says
Mr John Kayima Muzeeyi ,the chairperson for Mugoye Sub County says lack of humps has largely contributed to crashes along the route .
“Accidents usually occur at known black spots in Betta, Kagulube, Bumangi and Bugoma. We ask Ministry of Works which has taken over roles of Uganda National Roads Authority to help us install humps and road signs,” he said.
Mr Herman Jilibe ,the secretary for works acknowledges the need to put humps along the route but insists that the law prohibits them on installing humps on murrum roads.
“ We urge the Ministry of Works to honour the presidential pledge to tarmac the Luku –Mulabana – Kalangala Road and remove the sharp corners . It’s the only way we can reduce the carnage along that route ” he said.
Mr Ronald Serugo ,a boda boda rider at Kayembe stage in Kalangala Town Council blames the increasing crashes along the route ongoing maintenance works.
“ Whenever that road undergoes repair , workers leave huge piles of soil by the roadside without any warning sign . Many riders including me have got accidents along that road as a result of hitting those piles,” he says
Mr Kasirye urges all road users to be responsible while on the road , adding that traffic police are have started a crackdown speeding motorists .
” It’s a pity that we have lost lives ,but we can start now and do the right thing to avert more road carnage,” he said.
Other fatal traffic crashes on the route:
In August 2024, a speeding truck knocked and killed an eight-year-old girl Isabel Oneti while the driver was rushing the catch last ferry at Bugoma Docking Pier.
Before knocking Oneti, the ill-fated truck first collided with two boda bodas and two cars .
In January 2023, the chairperson of Buyindi Village in Mugoye sub county Joseph Muleebwa survived death after his car Reg.No. UBD 761E overturned due to speeding on a rough road.
According to Mr Baliremwa Mukajanga, the Kalangala District engineer, to tarmac the 66km stretch it would require the district to lobby for another Shs190.5 billion which money may not come soon since the central government is currently financially constrained .
“Commencing works for tarmac requires a lot of money .Therefore the maintenance works should be supported as we wait for the next financial year budget where we expect to get money for tarmacking the road ,” he said
Mr Mukajanga said as a district, they received only Shs4.9b road works from central government, part of which has been used to tarmac access roads of five kilometres within Kalangala Town Council .
“It is true we need a tarmac road connecting to the main docking site at Bugoma ,but disbursed funds wasn’t enough to do that , the technical team advised that part of it go on improving roads within the town which is also go for Kalangala.” he added
According to the 2023 annual crime report, a total of 23,608 road crashes were recorded by traffic police, with 4,179 categorised as fatal.
The causes of most accidents in Uganda are well-known and have been documented over time. Laws have been made to deal with the same, but statistics show that the numbers keep going up.
Side bar :
In 2009, the government signed an agreement with Kalangala Infrastructure Services Limited (KIS) to expand and upgrade a 66-kilometre road to a class B gravel. A total of Shs13.5b was budgeted for the project and actual construction works started in 2015 and completed in 2016. Motorists claim the road started developing gaping potholes less than four years after it was constructed.The worst part of the road is the 30 -kilometre-stretch between Bugoma and Bweya.