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Tunachokijua
Claim:
Social media Posts claim that Katete Bridge in Mbarara City was built or renovated at a cost of UGX 5.2Billion , yet remains in a poor state. The posts, accompanied by images of the bridge, further imply that Mbarara City Mayor Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi is responsible for the alleged misuse of the funds and suggest that Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara and State Minister Justin Namere are moving to have him arrested over the project.
What we know
• The claim emerged amid the ongoing anti-corruption inspections by the Ministry of Local Government in Uganda, where Minister Balaam Barugahara and State Minister Justin Namere are inspecting public infrastructure projects over alleged misuse of government funds.
•When Jamicheck subjected the images to tools such as Google Reverse Image Search , we established that the photographs accompanying the viral posts are not recent. The images have been online since 2020, years before the bridge renovation project commenced, and therefore do not reflect the bridge's current condition.
Screenshot of the Google Reverse Image Search results, 2020 Source:
•Our review of Official information shows that the project was not a UGX 5.2 billion reconstruction. Instead, Katete Bridge underwent renovation at a cost of approximately UGX 360 million, with the works executed by the UPDF Engineering Brigade, Watch here.
•The renovation project was launched on December 6, 2024, by Mbarara City Mayor Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi.
• According to Lt. Richard Isimgoma, the site engineer, inspections found that the bridge's main structural components, including the bearings and embankments, remained stable. The rehabilitation therefore focused mainly on replacing the deteriorated bridge deck rather than rebuilding the entire structure.
The contractor removed the rotten deck and installed 6mm steel chequered plates, replacing the previous 5mm plates, alongside other necessary repairs to improve the bridge's durability...Watch here.
The works were completed in about three months, and the renovated bridge was commissioned in January 2025.
•Images taken after commissioning show the bridge in its rehabilitated state, contradicting the outdated photographs being circulated online.
Photos of the bridge after commissioning in January 2025.
Verdict: MISLEADING
The claim is misleading because it relies on outdated images from 2020 to portray the bridge's current condition and falsely alleges that UGX 5.2 billion was spent on the project. Verified information shows that Katete Bridge was renovated-not rebuilt-at a cost of about UGX 360 million by the UPDF Engineering Brigade, before being commissioned in January 2025.
Claim:
Social media Posts claim that Katete Bridge in Mbarara City was built or renovated at a cost of UGX 5.2Billion , yet remains in a poor state. The posts, accompanied by images of the bridge, further imply that Mbarara City Mayor Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi is responsible for the alleged misuse of the funds and suggest that Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara and State Minister Justin Namere are moving to have him arrested over the project.
What we know
• The claim emerged amid the ongoing anti-corruption inspections by the Ministry of Local Government in Uganda, where Minister Balaam Barugahara and State Minister Justin Namere are inspecting public infrastructure projects over alleged misuse of government funds.
•When Jamicheck subjected the images to tools such as Google Reverse Image Search , we established that the photographs accompanying the viral posts are not recent. The images have been online since 2020, years before the bridge renovation project commenced, and therefore do not reflect the bridge's current condition.
Screenshot of the Google Reverse Image Search results, 2020 Source:
•Our review of Official information shows that the project was not a UGX 5.2 billion reconstruction. Instead, Katete Bridge underwent renovation at a cost of approximately UGX 360 million, with the works executed by the UPDF Engineering Brigade, Watch here.
•The renovation project was launched on December 6, 2024, by Mbarara City Mayor Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi.
• According to Lt. Richard Isimgoma, the site engineer, inspections found that the bridge's main structural components, including the bearings and embankments, remained stable. The rehabilitation therefore focused mainly on replacing the deteriorated bridge deck rather than rebuilding the entire structure.
The contractor removed the rotten deck and installed 6mm steel chequered plates, replacing the previous 5mm plates, alongside other necessary repairs to improve the bridge's durability...Watch here.
The works were completed in about three months, and the renovated bridge was commissioned in January 2025.
•Images taken after commissioning show the bridge in its rehabilitated state, contradicting the outdated photographs being circulated online.
Photos of the bridge after commissioning in January 2025.
Verdict: MISLEADING
The claim is misleading because it relies on outdated images from 2020 to portray the bridge's current condition and falsely alleges that UGX 5.2 billion was spent on the project. Verified information shows that Katete Bridge was renovated-not rebuilt-at a cost of about UGX 360 million by the UPDF Engineering Brigade, before being commissioned in January 2025.
