[Ugnet] Ugandans plant trees in potholes - BBC - 26/4/2005

2005-04-27 Thread Omar Kezimbira




Last Updated: Tuesday, 26 April, 2005, 15:59 GMT 16:59 UK  





 E-mail this to a friend 
 Printable version 





Ugandans plant trees in potholes 






 
The scene on 8th street - close to the city centreThe state of some roads in Uganda's capital, Kampala, is so bad that protesters have planted banana trees in the middle of potholes. 
One campaigner says he saw a fish caught in one of the bigger potholes that had filled with water. 
Now a politician is leading a campaign to get the roads repaired and says this is becoming a major issue for his party ahead of elections next year. 
Conservative Party leader Ken Lukyamuzi says corruption is to blame. 
Tax 
He says money earmarked for the roads is not being spent, and when it is, the tarmac is too thin and disintegrates when it rains. 
"When you hear sums of money related to what is going to be done, you just laugh," says Mr Lukyamuzi, whose party is one of the smaller players in Ugandan politics. 
"These roads are done using the taxpayers' money," he says as he manoeuvres his car among the potholes. "People pay the taxes." 
Mr Lukyamuzi says that quite aside from the number of accidents the potholes cause, there is a good economic reason to fix them. 
"You cannot do anything constructive in terms of trade," he says. "A lot of food which feeds the people in Kampala comes from very long distances. So, you have to address the roads." 
He also laments the fact that the only way around them is to drive on the wrong side of the road. 
"I cannot, for example, abide by the rules of driving in Uganda, which is moving on the left side - I have to move onto the other side as if I was driving when I'm in the Democratic Republic of Congo, or France, or Rwanda. Can you imagine that? It is absurd." 





 E-mail this to a friend 
 Printable version __Do You Yahoo!?Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___
Ugandanet mailing list
Ugandanet@kym.net
http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet
% UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/

Re: [Ugnet] Ugandans plant trees in potholes - BBC - 26/4/2005

2005-04-27 Thread Edward Mulindwa



Ffe kasita twebaka

Em
Toronto
The Mulindwas Communication Group"With 
Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in 
anarchy" 
Groupe de communication Mulindwas "avec Yoweri Museveni, l'Ouganda est dans 
l'anarchie"

  - Original Message - 
  From: 
  Omar 
  Kezimbira 
  To: Ugandanet@kym.net 
  Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2005 2:10 
  PM
  Subject: [Ugnet] Ugandans plant trees in 
  potholes - BBC - 26/4/2005
  
  
  


  Last Updated: Tuesday, 26 April, 2005, 15:59 GMT 16:59 
UK  



  
  
 E-mail this to a friend 
 Printable version 

  


  

Ugandans plant trees in potholes 

  

  
  

   
  The scene on 8th street - close to the city 
  centreThe state 
of some roads in Uganda's capital, Kampala, is so bad that protesters 
have planted banana trees in the middle of potholes. 
One campaigner says he saw a fish caught in one of the bigger 
potholes that had filled with water. 
Now a politician is leading a campaign to get the roads repaired and 
says this is becoming a major issue for his party ahead of elections 
next year. 
Conservative Party leader Ken Lukyamuzi says corruption is to blame. 
Tax 
He says money earmarked for the roads is not being spent, and when it 
is, the tarmac is too thin and disintegrates when it rains. 
"When you hear sums of money related to what is going to be done, you 
just laugh," says Mr Lukyamuzi, whose party is one of the smaller 
players in Ugandan politics. 
"These roads are done using the taxpayers' money," he says as he 
manoeuvres his car among the potholes. "People pay the taxes." 
Mr Lukyamuzi says that quite aside from the number of accidents the 
potholes cause, there is a good economic reason to fix them. 
"You cannot do anything constructive in terms of trade," he says. "A 
lot of food which feeds the people in Kampala comes from very long 
distances. So, you have to address the roads." 
He also laments the fact that the only way around them is to drive on 
the wrong side of the road. 
"I cannot, for example, abide by the rules of driving in Uganda, 
which is moving on the left side - I have to move onto the other side as 
if I was driving when I'm in the Democratic Republic of Congo, or 
France, or Rwanda. Can you imagine that? It is absurd." 



  
  
 E-mail this to a friend 
 Printable version 

  __Do You 
  Yahoo!?Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
  http://mail.yahoo.com 
  
  

  ___Ugandanet mailing 
  listUgandanet@kym.nethttp://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet% 
  UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM 
http://www.infocom.co.ug/
___
Ugandanet mailing list
Ugandanet@kym.net
http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/ugandanet
% UGANDANET is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/