“We are tired of empty promises,’’ Kabale residents block Minister Bahati’s campaign visit
“Let him go campaign where he has delivered results. This bridge is a symbol of abandonment,” said another protestor.
Kabale: In a bold act of defiance, residents of Nyombe Parish in Kahungye Sub-county, Kabale District have dismantled the Habuhinga-Kasiru Bridge, effectively blocking Hon. David Bahati, Minister of State for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (Industry), from accessing Butanda Sub-county where he was scheduled to hold campaign activities.
The wooden bridge, built by local residents using logs and timber, serves as a vital connection between Kahungye and Butanda sub-counties via Habuhinga and Kasiru villages.
However, it became the focal point of public anger as Minister Bahati and his team arrived at the site, only to be met by a crowd of angry residents who began physically dismantling the bridge in his presence on Tuesday, July 1, 2025.
Accompanied by Kabale District Vice Chairperson Miria Akankwasa, who represents the area on the district council, Minister Bahati was forced to retreat after the protestors blocked his passage and instructed him to find an alternative route.
Among the vocal demonstrators were Sylvia Tugineyo, Shallon Tusingwiire, Sam Akiza, and Sheillah Kusingura, who accused the Minister of neglecting the community’s infrastructure needs, particularly his failure to secure government support for a permanent bridge.
“We are tired of empty promises. This bridge has been a death trap for years. He only remembers us during campaigns,” one angry resident said.
The protestors said the bridge frequently becomes impassable during floods, and the burden of repair has consistently fallen on local residents, with no lasting support from the central government. Despite several appeals over the years, they claim no tangible efforts have been made by Minister Bahati to address the issue.
“Let him go campaign where he has delivered results. This bridge is a symbol of abandonment,” said another protestor.
Champion Beaker, the LCV Councillor for Kahungye Sub-county, acknowledged the district’s limited budget, but echoed the residents’ frustration, noting that as a senior government official, Minister Bahati should have lobbied for national funding to rehabilitate the bridge.
Efforts to reach Minister Bahati for a comment were unsuccessful, as calls to his known contacts went unanswered by press time.
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