The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Residents of the Bardege-Layibi and Pece-Laroo Division in Gulu City are demanding urgent action from local authorities and the government to rehabilitate a deteriorating and dusty eight-kilometer road.
The road which starts from Kabedo opong A Cell and Iriaga Bwona Gweno cell in the outskirt of the city stretches up to Patiko Sub-county in Gulu district covering more than 30 km. It’s managed by the Ministry of Works and Transport and serves as a crucial link for road users within and outside Gulu City.
Paul Marvin Ocen, a phone technician in Iriaga Bwonagweno whose shop is located by the roadside, however, said the excessive dust is greatly affecting his business and posing a health risk.
Ocen expressed his frustration against the inactions of the government in maintaining the road despite their pleas over the years, both during rainy and dry seasons.
He asked the relevant local authorities to amplify their concerns to the government for urgent intervention for the growth of businesses in the area.
Weeks ago, in response to the concerns of the residents in the affected areas, Ministry of Works and Transport heaped humps along the road to regulate traffic flow and embarked on sprinkling water on the road to reduce the dust level.
Ocen, however, told Uganda Radio Network that the water bowser only poured water on the road surface once and never returned over unclear reasons.
Esther Olanya, a shopkeeper at Kabedo Opong Market in Bardege-Layibi, equally noted that the government must come to their rescue urgently, owing to the bad state of the road during this dry season.
Olanya said that from morning till night time, they don’t rest from inhaling dust due to the heavy traffic on the road, adding that her stocks are most times covered in a thick cloud of dust.
Patrick Oola Lumumba, the Bardege-Layibi Division Mayor, told Uganda Radio Network that as much as the road is managed by the Ministry of Works, as a city council, they are working tirelessly to ensure they secure funding from partners.
Oola revealed that they have already held engagement with officials from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for a possible arrangement of funding for rehabilitation of three out of the eight kilometers road network within the city.
Henry Komakech, the Manager of the Ministry of Works and Transport Gulu station, acknowledged the current challenges residents in the areas where the road navigates are facing but noted that they are incapable of conducting rehabilitation due to funding shortfall.
“We are waiting for funds; we expect money to come this financial year, and we shall start working on the road any time soon,” Komakech told Uganda Network in an interview on Tuesday. Komakech, however, didn’t divulge how much has been earmarked for the road work by the government.
He noted that the Ministry of Works Gulu Station officials tried to mitigate the dust level on the road some time back, but it became costly due to the high temperatures in which water dries off very fast from the road surface.
Komakech says for now, they have opted to erect humps in all the trading centers where the road passes from to control the speed of vehicles and motorcycles in a bid to reduce dust.
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