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Following Wednesday afternoon’s heavy downpour, which left a huge chunk of the road around Kyambogo completely submerged, the road authority was put on the spot for the delayed rectification of this problem.
Many social media users pointed out that for years, UNRA has made promises to fix the flooding in this section, yet it still persists.
Government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo said it was time for UNRA to own up to its shortfalls, posting on X; “Sometimes it's better to admit that you have been a slow and half hazard (sic) in planning, response, and implementation.”
The ruling NRM party spokesperson Emmanuel Dombo also chimed in, sharing a video of vehicles stuck in several inches of water on the country’s main road to the east.
“For a whole year, we have done road repairs around the Kyambogo area! Honestly, is this because of the lack of capacity by our contractors or the little resources available?” he wondered.
Another social media user, Christopher Buni, described the road agency as “the most incompetent parastatal,” pointing out the lengthy time that the body has spent trying to fix the flooding problem.
But UNRA put the blame on the lack of funding from the government, and the human activities in this area which have blocked the water channels.
“It's important to assess the impact of the settlements around Kyambogo. These have significantly disrupted the previous water catchment areas and obstructed natural waterways,” said UNRA spokesperson Alan Ssempwebwa in response to the criticism.
“However, I'm pleased to inform you that UNRA is currently implementing new designs along the Jinja highway to tackle this issue. This will mitigate this challenge and establish an improved drainage system.”