A tragic accident in Kitete village, Mukono Central Division, has raised serious concerns over safety standards and supervision at a government-funded road construction site.
Doreen Nampijja, a resident of Kitete, lost her life following a fatal incident that occurred on the Wantoni to Mukono Boarding Road stretch. The stretch is currently under construction by Mukono Municipal Council.
The accident happened on Wednesday evening when a tree, excavated by a tractor involved in the construction works, fell directly onto a bodaboda that was carrying Nampijja.
The falling tree severed one of Nampijja’s legs and inflicted serious head injuries on the bodaboda rider.
Both were rushed to Mukono General Hospital, but Nampijja succumbed to her injuries later that night.
In a troubling development, the bodaboda rider reportedly fled the hospital, claiming that medical staff had paid little attention to his condition.
Eyewitnesses say he shouted that he was heading to Mulago National Referral Hospital for better treatment.
Others suspect the head injuries may have caused him to act irrationally due to possible brain trauma.
Patrick Bogere, a resident who witnessed the incident, blamed the municipal authorities for what he described as a complete failure to ensure public safety.
He noted that the construction site had no warning signs, no safety barriers, and no personnel guiding traffic.
Travelers, he said, are forced to navigate through construction equipment without any assistance or direction.
“This was bound to happen,” Bogere said. “There is no supervision, no communication with the community, and clearly no safety plan in place.”
Efforts to get a comment from Mukono Municipal Council have so far been unsuccessful.
Paul Nania husband of the deceased has blamed the tree owner for not informing the authorities that it had dried up, yet the road is still in usage.
Local leaders and residents are now calling for an urgent investigation into the matter.
They are demanding that the municipality immediately put in place safety measures to protect road users and construction site workers.
As the community mourns the loss of Nampijja, pressure is mounting on Mukono authorities to take responsibility and ensure that no more lives are lost due to preventable negligence.
