The deputy Speaker of Parliament Rt Hon Anita Among has directed the Minister of Works to organize an urgent meeting with MPs from the West Nile region to discuss the state of bad roads.
This follows a matter of national importance raised by Arua City Central Division MP Jackson Atima Lee Buti, who appealed to government to urgently work on the road section from Karuma to Arua and connects Uganda to DRC Congo. The same road goes through Goli in Nebbi, Vura in Arua, Liya, and connects to South Sudan through Oraba border where Uganda earns a lot of foreign income through imports and exports.
Hon Jackson Atima said the road has become completely dangerous for motorists especially from Oluyo in Nwoya district.
“I want the minister to call all the West Nile MPs as a region and have a meeting with them to discuss the state of the roads in the whole region and report to this house in two weeks” the Deputy Speaker noted.
According to Hon Atima, the road network from Packwach, Nyaravuru, Nebbi, Madi Okolo to Arua leading to all the border points, is causing a lot of accidents, delays, and breakdowns of cars yet Uganda is promoting trade with DRC which is now a major partner in the region.
“We appreciate the incentive taken to work on roads in DRC to enhance trade, but this bad state of the roads madam speaker derail this effort” Hon Atima explained.
He called on the government to have an immediate plan for the road to rescue the people of West Nile and the traders traveling to Congo and South Sudan to enhance trade in the region.
He said that the bad state of the road has caused a lot of accidents, noting that two members of parliament have so far survived death on the same bad road due to accidents.
“When you look at this state of the road from Oluyo, its impassible! vehicles are falling off the road delaying movement for several hours, and the journey which used take 7 hours now takes like 9 hours due to the poor road network.” He said.
