The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The sorry state of the 110 kilometre Soroti–Kotido road has compelled residents of Amuria district to use hand hoes to fix it. The road is the only link between Soroti, Amuria, Kotido, Kabong and Napak districts.
The road has been impassable for the past three weeks. On Wednesday last week, several trucks destined for Amuria, Abim, Kotido from Soroti had to turn back as they couldn’t navigate through the road that is submerged at OboliaiApesuru bridge.
As a result, residents mobilized themselves on Monday morning and decided to work on the road using hand hoes. Otili Owasi, one of the residents said the road has become unmotorable because of the heavy rains pounding the district.
According to Owasi, the road has gone a full year without rehabilitation making it impassable. The residents argue that most of their perishable agricultural products like sweet potatoes, onions, cabbages are rotting in the gardens due to the poor transport network.
David Ewayu, the Kuju sub county LC V councilor in Amuria district says they have complained severally to UNRA Soroti region office about the sorry state of the road but nothing has been done.
The Amuria district LC V chairperson Robert Erisat Okitoi accuses UNRA of allowing contractors to do shoddy work on the road which has adversely affected the movement of goods and services to Teso and Karamoja regions. Okitoi told URN that he has been engaging UNRA over the bad road without much success.
Ahmad Awoii Okwir, the UNRA Soroti station manager has acknowledged the sorry state of the road because of the broken bridge resulting from the high water level. He says plans are underway to install bigger box culverts to address the problem.
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