Army Deployed As Katonga River Floods Cut Off Kampala-Masaka Highway
Traffic along the Kampala-Masaka highway has been paralysed after water levels at Katonga River rose, making it hard for motorists and pedestrians to cross.
Currently, the army and traffic police have been deployed stretching over 20 kilometres between Lukaya Town in Kalungu District and Kayabwe Town in Mpigi District to control traffic flow.
“Traffic officers and UPDF soldiers have been deployed at the scene to control traffic and motorists with small vehicles are advised to wait until the water subsides. Those who are rushing are using the Mpigi-Kanoni- Sembabule –Villa Maria-Masaka road as an alternative route to avoid the delays,” Sula Kizito, a commuter Taxi operator on the Kampala-Masaka route said.
Uganda police confirmed the incident on Thursday morning saying that due to the serious risk the situation posed, road users were being advised to use alternative routes in the meantime.
”Travellers from Kampala are encouraged to utilise the Mpigi-Butambala-Ssembabule road as a viable alternative,” police said.
Individuals travelling from Masaka have been advised to take the Masaka-Ssembabule Road as a diversion.
“Please exercise caution, follow traffic instructions, and watch out for further updates. Your safety is our utmost priority.” police cautioned.
Meanwhile, Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has said its teams are on the ground to assess the situation and explore possible interventions and diversion routes.
“For now, we strongly advise road users to exercise extreme caution when approaching this section,” UNRA said.
