In early September 2022, Kampala and its neighboring districts started receiving devastating rains that experts predicted could last for quite some time.
The heavy down pours have since destroyed a number of infrastructure that include; houses, roads and bridges.
On the afternoon of September 30, Kampala received a record-breaking heavy down pour which contained heavy winds that transpired into great havoc such as electricity blackouts, rooftops damages and floods to those leaving mostly in the disadvantageous parts of the city.
For residents of Salaama road, the rainy season has caused continuous distrust and disappointment in the government and Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) whom they claim have done nothing in regards to rehabilitation and construction of the road.
The road that has an estimated 8km starts from the first branch off of Entebbe road after Kibuye roundabout also consisting of several stages which include Among others; Mayanja, Kuleekana, Lwasa, Nsambu, and Kiruddu.
Located in Makindye division, a few meters from the Central Business District, Salaama road was last rehabilitated in 2007 during the preparations of the Common Wealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The once beautiful and adorable road has since become a nightmare to on daily road users.
Ever since 2007, this road has been surviving on temporally patches and renovations with its drainage system being washed away lately, the road has since become very narrow and impassable.
Fahad Ntale the Marketing Director of Impact Woods Ltd. A furniture company along Salaama road noted that all clients that come to visit their offices leave cursing irrespective of it either being sunny or rainy.
“If one comes on a boda boda on a sunny day, he or she reaches our offices fully smeared with dust, and on rainy days it is always worse because chances are high they are splashed with mad… Those that come with their own cars always comment about how the road makes the place look so far.”
According to Ntale, if it wasn’t for the loyalty of their business, they would not be receiving any clients lately adding that, upon arrival of most clients, they ask for an alternative route however long it may be.
Birungi Jamilah a teacher at St. Posiano Kyamula primary school also along Salaama road said that the poor state of the road causes a lot of delays while traveling by it, especially in the morning hours.
“A journey that would take about 25minutes ends up consuming 50 minutes of your time and on top of that you reach school smeared with dust” she said.
According to Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) spokesperson Simon Kasyate, the Authority in 2021 received funding of USD 288million from African Development Bank and the African Development Fund to implement road rehabilitation activities in the city under the Kampala City Roads Rehabilitation Project and it is currently progressing.
“The project entails improvement of 62km of roads, 123km of non-mortised traffic facilities, provision of street lightings, signalizing 11 junctions amongst others” Kasyate revealed.
The Authority mouthpiece also noted that the 8.15km Salaama road is also part of lot 4 of the project which is still under procurement adding that as soon as the process is complete, works are expected to start immediately.
However, much as the road leads to Kiruddu General Hospital a health facility that was opened to the public in May 2016, residents reveal that the poor state of this road continues to be a threat as some of the patients taken to the facility in ambulances die on the way.
“I once witnessed an accident of two ambulances here at Lwasa stage, in that scandal, a patient in the ambulance that was going to Kiruddu died” Matsiko a boda cyclist narrated.
