Ntungamo District Local Government has started reconstruction of Kihorobo Bridge in Rwoho Town Council, which collapsed in early 2024 and has disrupted transport for more than two years. The district plans to spend Shs95.67 million on the project, which serves residents travelling between Kayanga, Nyakyera and Rwoho Town Council. The bridge's collapse left a deepening valley where the crossing once stood, with runoff from surrounding hills washing away soil and widening the gap.
The new bridge will feature steel culverts measuring seven metres in length and 2,100 millimetres in diameter, replacing the previous 600-millimetre culverts that could no longer handle water volumes from the surrounding hills. The works are expected to take two months, though construction is beginning during the rainy season, which could complicate efforts to stabilise the site. Emily Atuhaire Nuwagaba, secretary for works at the district, said the timing was linked to government funds being released in quarterly instalments.
The bridge reconstruction is part of a broader road programme. The district's works department said government has increased road funding for Ntungamo by an additional Shs1 billion, bringing the expected allocation for the 2026/27 financial year to Shs2 billion. Other roads undergoing work include the 13.5-kilometre Katinda-Kagarama road, allocated Shs97 million, as well as Nyamunuka-Rwitanzi, Nyakyera-Kibingo-Kitwe and Nyarutuntu-Ngoma-Nyakyera.
District chairperson Samuel Muchunguzi Rwakigoba said the district was prioritising roads connecting communities to markets. The expanded programme has raised questions about construction quality and accountability, particularly as some projects are underway during rainy season. Ruhaama East MP Moses Mugabe Kahima, who chairs the district roads committee, emphasised the importance of community oversight and making bills of quantities available to residents to improve accountability.