Luuka: Residents have been advised against frequent changes in leadership as it hinders community development. This counsel comes from Luuka District RDC, Katende Ronald, during the launch of the Buyunze-Busete-Namakakale-Bukyamata-Buniko to Kalyowa road construction, spearheaded by Luuka North MP, Hon. Luke Kyobe Inhensiko.
Addressing the audience at Buyunze village, Bulongo Sub County, RDC Katende Ronald commended MP Kyobe for his dedication to addressing local issues. He urged the people of Luuka, especially those in Luuka North, to resist changing leadership frequently, emphasizing that continuity is essential for development.
“Hon. I want to thank you that the moment I saw you, I liked one thing: you have few words but many actions. Therefore, I want to urge the people of Luuka, especially the people of Luuka North, that when we get to the time of elections, do not just change things because we have many MPs in parliament, as the things being done in Luuka North are seen by some in their constituencies as a proverb,” stated RDC Katende.
In response, Hon. Luke Kyobe Inhensiko acknowledged the challenges faced in gaining approval from the Ministry of Works and Transport for the road project. He thanked the ministry for eventually accepting the proposal and urged contractors to uphold high standards of work.
“It has not been easy because there have been many roads that the ministry is looking to work on, with more than 120. But I thank God that Luuka district has been one of the first priorities. I would like to thank the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Works and Transport for approving some of the roads to be started, and Buyunze–Kalyowa road is among those,” expressed Kyobe.
He further cautioned the appointed engineers to ensure quality work, stating, “I would like to urge the engineers who are going to work on this road to avoid doing shoddy work because if you do something that is not right, I am ready to fight for the people of Luuka.”
The 7.8-kilometer road, estimated to cost 729 million Ugandan shillings, will include features like drainages, culverts, murram, etc. Engineer Elvis Luswata, representing the Ministry of Works and Transport, assured that there would be no compensation during the construction, expressing gratitude for Hon. Kyobe’s collaboration with the ministry.
Luuka District Chairman, Wakaze Simon, highlighted the challenges faced during the project initiation, pointing out the need for recommendation letters from MPs. He criticized Luuka MPs who failed to assist in obtaining these letters, except for Hon. Kyobe, who responded positively.
“It was not easy because we traveled to Kampala to the ministry, and I was together with CFO Kipalu George, District engineer Musisi Arajab, District speaker Bikumbi Ronald, and CAO. The permanent secretary told us that he wants letters from the Luuka MPs confirming that there is a need for these roads. Unfortunately, when we agreed to meet with the MPs, only one person, Hon. Kyobe, responded to our request and contacted us in Kampala, where he wrote us letters on Buyunze–Kalyowa and other roads. But other MPs hid, and they switched off their phones,” lamented Wakaze.
Moses Wangadya, Principal Assistant Secretary of Luuka District, called for community cooperation with contractors to facilitate smoother project execution.
In closing, Kuma Investment Limited was awarded the construction contract, with team leader David Kuku pledging to complete the job satisfactorily within the agreed seven-month timeline. He thanked Hon. Kyobe for his efforts and encouraged community collaboration for a timely completion.
