Drama ensued as police and protesters engaged in running battles in Naboa in Budaka District along Mbale-Tiyinyi road on last evening. According to witnesses, drama started after a head-on collision involving an Isuzu truck registration number UAX 474H and a trailer number UAV 929 K, which claimed the lives of two people.
The Traffic Officer Budaka District, Gerald Baluwa, explains that the tipper driver rammed into the trailer as he was driving behind a speeding YY Bus that was raising a lot of dust. There is a lot of dust in the affected area, which was abandoned after UNRA terminated the services of Dott Services that was working on the road.
Budaka District Police Commander Michael Ongica, says residents decided to block the road following the accident. They lit fire on the road using tyres and wood and also dug up trenches. Police swung into action and tried to disperse the protesters using live bullets leading to running battles.
According to Ongica, they battled the protesters until after 9:30pm. Ongica says police had to divert traffic to Mbale via Tororo. He says they diverted vehicles that had joined Tirinyi road through Butaleja district to Nawuyo in Mbale and Kibuku via Pallisa to Kamonkoli enroute to Mbale town. Police also diverted other vehicles to go through Pallisa, Nakaloke then to Mbale town.
Sam Mulomi, the Budaka District LC 5 Chairman, says residents are bitter with the delayed deployment of another contractor to work on Mbale - Tirinyi road. "The demonstration is a result of delay to hire a new contractor to work on Tirinyi road," he said.
Adding that, "I am appealing to government to find another contractor to work on the road." He says the heavy dust on the road has affected road side vendors especially those selling cooked food and comprised the health of some residents.
Julius Were, one of the demonstrators, says they rose up in protest to express dissatisfaction with the poor state of the road. Early this week, a group of legislators from Eastern Uganda attempted to stage a demonstration in Budaka to protest the poor state of the road but were blocked by police.
The legislators told journalists that they can't seat back and watch the road claim several lives. They asked government to redeploy Dott Services to complete the road works.
Princess
Masaka Lorry Drivers Succumb to Pressure, Vacate Mayor’s Garden
At least 300 lorry drivers have finally been evicted from the mayor's garden to pave way for its redevelopment.
Yesterday, we reported how on Tuesday, the mayor of Masaka Godfrey Kayemba Afaayo narrowly survived lynching from the angry drivers who had insisted on remaining in the gardens, even after Masaka municipality early this year, allocated it to Moses Kaliisa Muto, a businessman for the construction of a shopping mall at the tune of Shillings 1.5 billion.
Angry drivers faulted the municipality for selling off the land without allocating them alternative land to operate from. They vowed not to leave prompting Kayemba to convene a meeting with the Town Clerk, Paul Omoko, his deputy, Edward Gwavu Kiwanuka and other stakeholders to resolve the matter.
During the meeting, it was resolved that the drivers relocate to Bukoyolo near the National Water and Sewarage treatment plant, a proposal the drivers rejected citing the foul smell from the plant. However, on Wednesday evening, Kaliisa managed to fence off the Mayor's gardens enclosing several vehicles in the gardens.
Now, several drivers were this morning seen driving away their vehicles. They parked them along Edward venue and Victoria Street in Katwe-Butego division. Daniel Mugula, the Treasurer Masaka Lorry Driver's Association, says they decided to relocate their vehicles to the streets until the municipality finds them a decent place to operate from.
He says they have rejected all the alternative venues offered by the municipality because of safety concerns. He also says they declined to enter the main taxi park for fear of clashing with taxi drivers.