The Leadership and locals across Kabelebyong District have demonstrated over the poor state of roads.
The protest followed a decision by government to announce the call for open bidders for the rehabilitation of Selected Community Access Roads in several Districts under MOWT/WRKS/22-23/00084 leaving Kapelebyong.
The districts under MOWT notice include; Adjumani, Amuria, Apac,Arua,Budaka, Bududa, Bugiri, Buikwe, Bukedea, Bulambuli, Bushenyi,Busia, Butaleja,Butambala, Butebo, Buyende, Gomba, Hoima, Iganga, Isingiro,Kaabong, Kabale, Kagadi, Kakumiro, Kalangala, Kaliro, Kampala, Kamuli, Kanungu,Kasese,Kassanda, Katakwi, Kayunga, Kibaale, Kiboga, Kibuku, Kiruhura, Kiryandongo, Kisoro, Kumi, Kyankwazi,Kyegegwa, Kyenjojo, Lira, Luuka, Luwero, Lwengo,Lyantonde, Manafwa, Masaka, Mayuge, Mbarara, and Mitooma.
Others are; Mityana, Moroto, Mpigi, Mubende, Mukono, Nabilatuk, Nakapiripirit, Nakasongora, Namutumba,Ntoroko, Otuke, Pader, Pallisa, Rakai, Rubanda, Rukiga, Rukungiri, Rwampara, Serere, Sheema, Soroti, Ssembabule, and Tororo.
Kapelebyong District has a total coverage of close to 600KMs of community access roads and 86KMs of district roads. Less than a quarter of the roads are accessible, according to the statistics from the engineering department.
Francis Akorikin the LCV Kapelebyong says that since the creation of Kapelebyong the district has been faced by poor state of roads with no response from the central government.
He notes that the support given to the district to work on the roads is extremely very little.
“What has shocked us is that Government through Ministry of Works and Transport announced a massive community rehabilitation of roads yet Kapelebyong has the worst road network. We feel neglected us and rejected us yet during campaigns our people were told to vote for NRM for secured future. As leaders of NRM we are disappointed,” Akorikin said.
Joseph Enotu the LCIII Okunguru Sub County told media that the road situation in his sub county has left several expectant mothers fail to access health services in the government aided hospitals while farmers have no access to markets for the produce.
He said that the poverty situation in Kapelepyong can only be saved if the roads are worked on.
He recalls that the roads in his sub county were opened during the time of insurgency.
Residents like Emmanuel Omoding, Joseph Opolot also expressed their disappointed over the sorry state of roads and called for immediate intervention of government.
Emmanuel Okia the Kapelebyong Senior Engineer while speaking to media said that the roads in the district are wanting and need to be renovated.
He attributes the poor state of roads to meager funding and lack of road equipment in the district.
He notes that as a district they keep on hiring road equipment’s from neighboring districts that he said is costly.
The district has only received Uganda Shillings 80 million from Uganda Road Funds meant of the construction of roads this financial year
1 Comment
Kapelebyong is really a devastated district and a most disadvantaged yet we whole somely voted for NRM. The mistake was made by us our selves, let us accept the results of our voting but I don’t disgrace the demonstration.