'Lake-like' potholes irk Lira locals

Residents of Lira say they are furious over delays by the city leadership to rehabilitate poor roads within the administrative unit.

Road users who spoke to Monitor on Tuesday attributed increasing road accidents in the area to failure by the city council to repair bad roads whose conditions worsen during rainy seasons.

Currently, huge potholes occupy many access roads in the city.

Some of the affected roads are Police, Ogwanguzi, Okello Oula, Cuk Ebange, Police, Te-Okole, Okot Ogong, Okori Olero, Adekokwok Sub-county-Aluga-Ajia, Te-Ibira , Ogwang John-Hill City roads, among others.

On Tuesday, boda-boda rider Peter Ongom expressed concern that “lake-like potholes are slowly but surely eating away a busy road that stretches from the old Akii-Bua Stadium to Corner Kamdini in Teso Bar.”

Cyclist Walter Owino noted that potholes have made access to major trading centres in the Lango Sub-region very difficult.  

Lira City secretary for Works and Technical Services Herbert Apita admitted that the concern over poor roads in the area is “genuine.”

But he disclosed that government has earmarked Shs1billion towards road rehabilitation and development, adding that the City Road Committee has approved 13 roads to be worked on before the end of the FY2023/2024.

“In the 1^st and 2^nd quarter, we received Shs500million. In the 3^rd quarter, we did not receive any money while in the 4^th quarter communication was made to have the other balance of Shs500million sent,” Apita told Monitor today.

The said Lira road committee is headed by the city’s East Division lawmaker Jimmy Akena Obote.

Other leaders who sit in this particular committee are the area station manager for Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra), Lira City West Division MP, the City Woman MP, town clerk, mayor, city engineer, and secretary for works and technical Services.

Apita emphasized that the committee members early 2024 toured the city and agreed have all major roads in the area repaired.

“One of the roads to be worked on is Okot Ogong whose culvert needs to be fixed so that at least the road is motorable. We are going to put a box culvert on Awangwia swamp crossing in Ewal, Lira City East Division, and then another road under rehabilitation is Okori Olero,” he explained.

“And then another road that is going to be repaired is Okello Oula in Obutowelo Ward in Lira City West Division. We are also going to work on Adekokwok-Aluga-Ajia Road but in total 13 roads will be worked on in this current financial year. As we talk now, preparations are in high gear to start the work,” he added.