In May 2023, the country experienced two major road cuts caused by climatic factors affecting the supply of goods and services to the western part of the country.
First was the Katonga bridge that was washed away by fast – moving flood water in May 2023.
And in the same month, a part of Kabale-Kisoro road was washed away by floods.
Since May 2023 to date, reconstruction works to restore the two roads have been ongoing but with little progress inconveniencing road users who need those routes.
As a result of the tragedy, several lessons have been learnt to help effective planning in the future.
The Civil Society Organisations (CSO’s) under their umbrella body, Road Safety Advocacy Coalition Uganda (ROSACU) warn that such disasters are prone to happen given the Uganda’s experiences of heavy rainfall, especially during the rainy seasons.
“This can lead to flooding, erosion, and landslides, which can damage road surfaces, wash away pavement, and cause road closures. It can also result in the formation of potholes and cracks, making roads unsafe for travel,” Brian Odama, a member of ROSACU said.
“Uganda’s tropical climate brings high temperatures and humidity. Prolonged exposure to heat and humidity can cause the expansion and contraction of road materials, leading to cracks and uneven surfaces. It can also accelerate the deterioration of road structures and surfaces. Uganda’s mountainous regions pose additional challenges for road infrastructure. Steep slopes and rugged terrain can make roads more susceptible to landslides and erosion during heavy rainfall,” Brian Odama added.
To mitigate the effects of climatic conditions on roads in Uganda, the CSOs under their umbrella body ROSACU want the government to involve them and the native road users in the pre-design phase of road engineering.
Odama stressed that, “Such consideration enables our experts to advise on choice road signs, materials to be used and advise on speed limits. But we are only engaged in the post engineering phase making it hard to deal with the architectural challenges”.
According to WHO data published in 2020, road traffic accident deaths in Uganda reached 13,012 or 6.27percent of total deaths.
