By Brian Okoth
Floods on Thursday paralysed transport services on a busy road in Uganda that connects the capital city, Kampala, to the southern town of Masaka.
A bridge over River Katonga, some 100 kilometres southwest of Kampala, was overtopped by floods, rendering the route unusable for the most part of the day.
The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) said in a statement that efforts to repair damaged sections of the bridge would begin after the water subsides.
Affected motorists were advised to use the alternate route from Masaka to Mpigi, making the journey longer by some 55 kilometres, which require more than an hour to cover.
As a result, transport operators plying the route increased fares significantly. They, however, pledged to revert to the normal charges when the water levels subside.
The normal fare on the route is roughly Ush15,000 ($4.0), but it doubled to Ush30,000 ($8.0) following the heavy downpour.
The Kampala-Masaka road stretches some 130 kilometres, which takes slightly more than two hours to cover by car.
