Parliamentary committee inspects Amolatar roads, reviving hopes for tarmacking

13 November 2026, 10:21 am

By Odongo Gerald

The Parliamentary Committee on Physical Infrastructure has inspected several roads in Amolatar District, rekindling hopes that the long-awaited tarmacking of the Dokolo–Ochero–Namasale road will finally commence.

The inspection tour, conducted on Wednesday, 12 November, formed part of the Committee’s parliamentary oversight mandate. The Committee is currently undertaking monitoring visits across the country to assess the state of transport infrastructure and evaluate preparedness for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The eight-member delegation was led by Mr. William Taylor Tiyo, Vice Chairperson of the Committee on Physical Infrastructure and Member of Parliament for Ayivu East Constituency in Arua City.

The roads inspected included:

– The 88-kilometre Dokolo–Ochero–Namasale road;

– The Atingi–Chakwara road through Wii Olik; and

– The Alemere–Nalubwoyi road through Epyel Swamp.

Speaking to the press, Mr. Geoffrey Ocen Kiring, Member of Parliament for Kioga North, said the poor condition of roads in Amolatar had significantly increased the cost of living for residents.

He explained that because Amolatar is a peninsula, impassable roads had resulted in high transport fares and expensive referrals to health facilities outside the district.

Ms. Collins Angwech, Member of Parliament for Kioga County, said residents had endured years of hardship, particularly in her constituency, where they were forced to use alternative routes that were equally costly.

She urged the Committee to prioritise the construction of a bridge across Epyel Swamp to reconnect communities that have been separated for years.

Mr. Mike Awio, the Amolatar District Secretary for Works, said the one billion shillings allocated to the district was inadequate, particularly given the district’s limited equipment capacity. He appealed for special government support to address the infrastructure challenges.

Mr. Fred Jalameso, Member of Parliament for Ajuri County and a Committee member, revealed that he had recently raised concerns about the Dokolo–Ochero–Namasale road during a Committee sitting. He said the President had verbally pledged to secure alternative funding to facilitate its tarmacking.

Mr. Jalameso recounted how the vehicle transporting the delegation became stuck in mud in Ajuri, describing the incident as a vivid demonstration of the challenges faced by communities in northern Uganda because of poor road infrastructure.

Mr. Tiyo affirmed that the President had directed the tarmacking of the road during the recently concluded campaign. He added that persistent advocacy by the Kioga North MP had contributed to the Committee’s decision to verify the condition of the roads in Amolatar.

In a preliminary response, Mr. Mukasa Vincent, Station Manager at the Ministry of Works and Transport’s Lira Station, acknowledged the deplorable condition of the roads inspected.

He assured residents that works on the 12-kilometre Epyel road and the 15.2-kilometre Atingi–Chakwara road would begin before the end of December, subject to approval by the Solicitor General.

Mr. Mukasa further disclosed that rehabilitation and grading had already commenced on the Namasale–Dokolo road to improve its passability ahead of the planned tarmacking.

Residents have waited for years for the Namasale–Dokolo road to be upgraded. Although road marking was completed in 2016, tarmacking has never begun. The road has nevertheless continued to feature in key government planning and policy documents, including the National Development Plan III, the NRM Manifesto 2021–2026, the National Development Plan IV and the NRM Manifesto 2026–2031.

The Committee’s visit comes at a time of renewed optimism that the road may finally be upgraded to bitumen standard.

The President has also pledged to facilitate a study visit for the Committee to Ethiopia and Zambia to benchmark their approaches to road and railway construction.