Namugongo - Kireka road death trap

By Andrew Masinde
                                   
The Kireka-Namugongo road in Kira town council in Wakiso district has become a death trap.

Barely two months since upgrading of the road started; 12 lives have been lost, many of them boda-boda cyclists.

This has caused fear among road users to the extent that boda baoda fares have more than doubled.

“I used to charge sh1500 to Kyaliwajala. Now I charge sh2500 because I am not sure that I will make it back. I have to go  via Kamuli road which is very far. The road is too narrow; a vehicle can’t overtake. One has to climb onto the pavement,” said Timothy Suka, a boda boda cyclist who operates in the area.

A boda boda cyclist squeezed just next to the walkway as a car passes by. PHOTO/Andrew Masinde

Suka is of the view that the town council wishes them to die. He says the 7.8km road refurbished recently claimed his colleague's life and the council turned a blind eye.

His colleague was crashed by a truck ferrying construction materials. Instead of arresting the truck drivers, accidents are blamed on boda boda cyclists.

“They are constructing walk-ways for pedestrians forgetting the cyclist; they can’t use the same road when vehicles are over speeding. They have also put gutters at the sides which are too slippery, so people fall in. I have never seen a road without parking space. Vehicles just park in the road,” Isaac Kisitu a pedestrian explains.

Since upgrading of the road started 12 lives have been lost. PHOTO/Andrew Masinde

“We welcomed the road construction because of need for development, but instead it is leading many people to their graves. Many people have lost their lives even before it is complete; what about when complete? The town council is adamant about the issue as though they want us to die,” Joan Nabasa, a retailer along the road, says.

She added that the road would have been good if the contractors had provided parking space. One of the soda distributors almost lost his life after a vehicle almost knocked him as he was looking for parking.

The Kira town council mayor, Mamerito Mugerwa, blames the accidents on reckless boda boda cyclists. He says the road is supposed to be shared by vehicles and motorcyclists, so there is no need for an extra lane.

“I am tired of people making noise that the road is narrow, yet it’s within the right standards. I am fed up with all the funny complaints that accidents are many on the road. The road is still under construction so the users should take care. There is no one supposed to overtake including boda bodas,” Mamerito stressed.

Dan Alinange, the head corporate communications Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), says people should stop complaining that the road is narrow yet it is up to the standard.

He says the road was 11meters wide before the construction began. And after removing space for the pavers and shoulders, the road is now seven metres which is the standard measurement for any road around town.

“The walkways are to protect pedestrians most especially the residents and pilgrims. Last year a vehicle almost killed many because of lack of pavers. This forced the president to order that the pavers are constructed. We are going to put bus stages every after 500metre and it is where the taxis should stop not anywhere along the road because this is causing accidents,” Alinange explained.

“The road is going to be beautiful with road lights and signposts so people should be patient and support the construction,” he added.