Kwania residents stage protests over impassable road network

24 January 2023, 1:46 pm

Residents of Atongtidi sub county in Kwania District have taken matters into their own hands after what
they claim “failures” by local leaders to provide solutions to impassable roads. On Saturday last week, the irate residents woke up in protest, mobilised themselves, dug holes and planted banana stems alongside other crops on a stretch of road leading from Aboko to Atongtidi to express their grievances Qfm understands that the road from Aboko corner to Atongtidi parish was not worked on for the last six years and it is in a dilapidated condition to the extent that even locals can’t use bicycles to maneuver their ways to hospitals let alone pupils and students walking to schools. Speaking to Radio Qfm 94.3 Lira, Geoffrey Omunu, the LC1 chairperson of Atongtidi parish expressed concern that the local authorities both at sub county level and the district seems unbothered over the poor status of the road despite the dire need for the community to access key services such as health centers. Omunu is worried that expectant mothers could lose their lives because ambulances can’t access villages in Atongtidi parish due to the dilapidated status of the roads.

When contacted, Patrick Onyum, the LC 1 chairman of Atongtidi sub county said the community should not ignorantly blame his government over this poor road network because it is the responsibility of Kwania district local government. But Geoffrey Eling Owera, the area LCV councillor agreed with the community. Eling says he is fully aware of the challenges the community is faced with owing to the poor status of the road and was quick to add that the district delayed to repair the road as a result of meagre resources. According to Eling Owera, the district accessed the road and a figure to a tune of shillings 65m was allocated but the central government through the ministry of works and transport released only a paltry 35m shillings which was insufficient. Alex Ogwal Adyebo is the LCV chairperson of Kwania district, He tells Radio Qfm that he is cognisant of the bad status if the road from Aboko corner to Atongtidi and states further that the district had planned to repair this stretch in the financial year 2021/2022 but floods impeded construction works He however disclosed that the district will embark on major repairs on the road but said this shouldn’t be misconstrued as a result of the pressure mounted by the locals. Unlike other districts which have roads equipment, Ogwal Adyebo says Kwania has none and they depend on other districts which most times causes delays on road repairs. Nearly all local governments are facing difficulty in grading roads due to financial constraints. In Alebtong district, government released only 25m shillings in the first quarter yet according to David Kennedy Odongo, the district has planned for shillings 600m for roads constructions.