Eronda
JF-Expert Member
- Dec 16, 2025
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Minister of Local Government Balaam Barugahara(front), Standing on top shs 350Million TOKWE Bridge.
A bridge built at a cost of Shs350 million in Bundyelume village, Tokwe sub-county, is facing sharp criticism from residents who say they would rather move through the running water below it than risk crossing the structure itself.
The bridge, constructed by Bundibugyo District Local Government and completed in March last year, was built using stones, cement and timber, without any steel or iron reinforcement bars a detail that has left many in the community questioning its structural integrity.
Shs 350MILLION TOKWE Bridge.
The concerns came to the fore during an inspection tour of development projects in Bundibugyo District led by the Minister of State for Local Government, Hon. Balaam Barugahara. The visit forms part of a wider countrywide crackdown the minister has been conducting on the quality and accountability of government-funded infrastructure projects implemented by local governments, an exercise that has in recent months uncovered cases of substandard work, misused funds, and stalled projects in several districts.
During the Bundibugyo leg of the exercise, residents used the opportunity to raise their grievances directly, pointing the minister and his team to the Tokwe bridge as an example of the kind of shoddy work they say has left them exposed rather than protected.
Questions over Value for Money
At the heart of residents' frustration is the gap between the amount reportedly spent Shs350 million and the quality of what was delivered. A structure built largely of stone, cement and timber, without reinforcement, raises questions about whether the funds allocated for the project were fully and properly utilised, or whether corners were cut during construction.
The case adds to a growing list of infrastructure concerns raised in Bundibugyo District, where flooding and landslides have repeatedly damaged roads and bridges in Tokwe and neighbouring sub-counties over the past several years, leaving communities dependent on fragile, poorly maintained crossings.
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