Authorities in Kanungu district are investigating the collapse of a Shs40 million bridge completed less than three months ago, with police directed to trace the district engineer and other officials linked to its construction.
Kankoko Bridge partially gave way following heavy rainfall last week, leaving the Kihembe–Butogota–Bwindi road disrupted and raising questions over the quality of the government-funded project.
District engineer January Silangi Mugaye could not be located when officials went to inspect the damaged structure, Kanungu Deputy Resident District Commissioner Gaddie Rugaaju Ahimbisibwe said.
Rugaaju said police had been instructed to arrest Mugaye and other members of the district works department to assist with investigations.
The bridge, situated in Kanyashande village in Kihembe sub-county, was constructed by the Kanungu district works department to improve movement across River Kankoko.
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Residents had hoped the project would end years of difficulties associated with crossing the river, according to Kihembe LC III chairperson Denis Tumukunde.
Those expectations were short-lived when part of the structure collapsed only months after completion.
“The bridge had given people hope that transport challenges had finally been resolved, but now we are back to where we started,” Tumukunde said.
He alleged that poor workmanship was responsible for the failure.
Rugaaju has also alleged that questionable materials were used during construction.
He claimed that old, rusty culverts were installed on the new project and raised concerns about the reinforcement bars used to construct the retaining walls.
The deputy RDC said Y6 and Y10 bars had allegedly been used and claimed the cement mixture was not sufficient to provide the required strength.
The allegations have not yet been established by a completed investigation.
Rugaaju also questioned the level of supervision given to the project, saying construction began without a formal groundbreaking ceremony involving local leaders.
He argued that early involvement by political and administrative leaders could have provided greater oversight during implementation.
After learning about the collapse, Rugaaju said he visited Kankoko Bridge to assess the situation but could not find Mugaye or other officials from the works department.
He then asked police to trace the officials as investigators examine allegations of substandard work and possible misuse of government funds.
Rugaaju said the collapse was particularly troubling because the bridge had reportedly failed before its official commissioning.
The damaged crossing is part of a road connection serving local communities and traffic heading towards Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, one of Uganda’s major tourism destinations.
Authorities are now expected to examine the bridge’s design, construction materials, supervision and expenditure to determine why the structure failed within months of completion and whether anyone should face action.
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