Teso leaders demand better community roads

Leaders from Teso have expressed dissatisfaction over the poor state of roads connecting communities to other districts in the sub-region.

On Wednesday,  the Teso Affairs minister, Mr Kenneth Ongola Obote, who is also the Kalaki County MP, failed to inspect works on Aleles bridge, which connects Ngora to Pallisa due to the sorry state of Ngora Town Council– Kobuin- Kodike road.

Mr Ongalo said during his tour and inspection, some of the projects being implemented by the Office of the Prime Minister are under the oversight of his ministry.

“I was meant to have arrived in time  to inspect works on Aleles bridge, but we cannot reach the road, which is experiencing floods from the streams,” he said.

Mr Ongalo said he would communicate his findings to the Ministry of Works and Transport. The minister said he also witnessed some of the worst roads in the sub-region while in Serere District.
Ms Stella Isodo, the Ngora Woman MP, who had accompanied Mr Ongalo, proposed that the central government takes over roads that districts find difficult to maintain.

 “Our districts are financially handicapped, districts can’t afford to periodically maintain roads that cost more than Shs300m.  This is why we need a takeover from the centre for some of these roads crisscrossed by streams,” Ms Isodo said.

However, she said there are some roads under Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra) that remain in bad state.
Ms Isodo said the Ngora Town Council-Kodike road is a shortcut to Pallisa but works on Aleles bridge have taken almost 15 years, adding that when schools resume, it will be difficult for communities to travel freely.

Mr Mike Odongo, the district chairperson, said one among the key issues they raised before the Vice President, Ms Jessica Alupo, during her visit to the sub-region recently was the poor roads in the area.
Mr  Odongo said the district needs good infrastructure to easily access health centres and schools.

Mr Richard Okiror , the district engineer, said they need a lot of money.
“For this road alone, we need Shs28m per kilometre for the 23 kilometres which need to be worked on, yet we cannot even afford Shs300m, so where will the Shs600m come from?” Mr Okiror wondered.

Mr Allan Ssempebwa, the Unra spokesperson, said their response teams were on the ground assessing the situation.
He said contractors have always been called in to rectify the state of the roads in case movement is hindered.
“Unra is committed to ensure that roads are in a better state,” Mr Ssempebwa said.

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