Steven Ariong, Karamoja – Karamoja region in northeastern Uganda has continued experiencing damage on its roads due to the current heavy rains.
For the last two weeks, Karamoja region has been receiving heavy rains that have caused flash floods and cut off major roads, paralysing movements in and out of Karamoja.
Apparently, connecting from the central part of the country to the northeastern part, specifically to Karamoja, has become difficult following the heavy rains that have pounded the region, cutting off all access roads to Karamoja.
The road that connects Moroto to Mbale via Nakapiripirit has been cut off and is full of water after the Chepskunya bridge, which is under construction by the M/s Polat Yol Yapi Sanayi Ve Ticaret, began on March 30th, 2020.
This section of the road has forced motorists to take a longer route to Mbale via Napak, Katakwi, Soroti to Mbale, the recently completed tarmacked road in Karamoja.
Another road that has been cut off is from Moroto to Kotido district after flash floods flooded Lopei Bridge in Napak district. On the side of Amudat, the road connecting Amudat to Kween via Karita has also been cut off, and these are all roads under UNRA.
Joseph Lote, a marble truck driver, said transporting raw minerals from Karamoja to Tororo, where cement is being processed, has become difficult due to flooded bridges.
“Some of our trucks now move from Amudat to Kenya and join Suam in Bukwo to connect to Mbale, which is also very far,” he said.
Moses Okello, a taxi operator from Moroto to Mbale via Nakapiripirit, appealed to the government to speed up road works on the Nakapiripirit-Mbale road to ease movements.
