In Rukungiri, a dispute has arisen between the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Stephen Bewayo Nsubuga, and the Nyakishenyi Sub-county LCIII Chairperson, Wednesday Twinomujuni, regarding the construction of bridges in the area. According to reports, Twinomujuni had contracted a company called Cable Bridge Construction to undertake the bridge construction projects. However, Nsubuga claimed that the firm was not known in the area, and therefore, procedures must be followed.
Nsubuga stated that he supported development but insisted that procedures must be followed. The MOU needed to be signed between the district and whoever was implementing the project before works could continue. However, no one had showed up for more than a week despite the Chief Administrative Officer waiting to meet those involved.
The cold war began after Nsubuga launched verbal directives stopping Twinomujuni from proceeding with the construction of bridges in Nyakishenyi Sub-county. The directives were allegedly delivered through the sub-county chief and police officers at Nyakishenyi sub-county Police post. Despite these warnings, Twinomujuni did not take them seriously until Nsubuga repeated them recently while appearing on a local radio station.
Twinomujuni, who was reportedly upset with Nsubuga’s actions, sent verbal warnings that he would regret ever stepping into Nyakishenyi Sub-county. He accused Nsubuga of overstepping his mandate and allowing himself to be used by some politicians in the district under the guise of enforcing security guidelines. He further reminded Nsubuga that the projects were not part of his mandate and that even the Ministry of Works was aware of them.
According to Twinomujuni, the projects were lobbied by the concerned children of Nyakishenyi and other well-wishers who follow them on social media and other platforms. He called on all gallant sons and daughters of Nyakishenyi to reflect on the matter. He stated that the district local government officials were approached in time, and a MOU to undertake these projects was submitted to the relevant offices. Twinomujuni argued that the projects should not be halted at the expense of self-seeking and uninformed individuals, stressing that cable bridges are a success story in other parts of Uganda.
Since then, Nsubuga has remained silent, with some speculating that he has left the district. Nyakishenyi Sub-county is one of Rukungiri’s remotest sub-counties, with poor roads. It borders Rukiga district, and Twinomujuni claims that the bridges were meant to connect Nyakishenyi to the rest of the parts of the district.
The most affected bridges include Kafujo-Kafunjo HCII to Omukitoma, which borders Rukiga district, Kisizi Nyarulambi-Kamaga to Kanoko, Nyabushenyi, and Kigalama-Nyarugando in Ngooma parish that connects to Nyabushenyi then to the main road, and the interconnection of villages such as Nyabale, Kalagi, Endalagi, Rushebeya, and Kahama. They also inspected Rwabyondo stream – Bugolo to Nengo, which is a kilometre to Buyanja Sub-county. Other bridges that were inspected in Ngooma parish include Kigalama cell, which connects Nyabushenyi to Nyakishenyi Sub-county.
Recently, traders of Nyakishenyi Sub-County in Rukungiri district, under their umbrella organization ‘Nyakishenyi Traders and Farmers Association,’ protested against overwhelming taxes on local goods, which they term as illegal. Some have pointed
As tensions rise between Rukungiri Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Stephen Bewayo Nsubuga and Nyakishenyi Sub-county LCIII Chairperson Wednesday Twinomujuni over the construction of bridges in Nyakishenyi, residents of the sub-county are caught in the middle.
Nyakishenyi is one of the most remote sub-counties in Rukungiri district with poor roads, and the construction of bridges would provide much-needed relief for residents in terms of transportation.
Twinomujuni claims that the bridges were lobbied for by concerned children of Nyakishenyi and other well-wishers who follow them on social media and other platforms. He says that the projects were submitted to relevant offices and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed.
However, the RDC insists that procedures must be followed before construction can continue, and that the firm contracted to undertake the projects, Cable Bridge Construction, is not known in the area.
The RDC warns that the construction of the bridges may cause a security threat, for which he would be held accountable, and insists that the projects must be approved by the district and the relevant authorities before work can continue.
The tension between the two officials has led to a standstill in the construction of the bridges, leaving residents of Nyakishenyi in a difficult situation. Some residents are frustrated with the lack of progress and are calling for a resolution to the conflict.
The Nyakishenyi Traders and Farmers Association recently protested overwhelming taxes on local goods, which they claim are illegal, and have pointed fingers at Twinomujuni. The conflict between the RDC and the LCIII Chairperson only adds to the challenges faced by residents of Nyakishenyi.
It remains to be seen how this conflict will be resolved and if construction of the bridges will be allowed to continue. In the meantime, residents of Nyakishenyi are left to deal with the consequences of the standstill.
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