Dokolo leaders push for greater involvement in long-delayed Amodo bridge works

20 August 2026, 10:37 pm

By Winnie Auma

Local leaders in Dokolo District have accused the Ministry of Works and Transport of sidelining them in the construction of Amodo Bridge in Agwata Sub-county.The concerns were raised on Thursday, August 20th, 2026, during an inspection of the project by the Parliamentary Committee on Quality Assurance and other stakeholders in Dokolo District.

Dokolo District LCV Chairperson, Peter Ogwang, said the Ministry of Works has been implementing the project in isolation, without adequately briefing district leaders or providing them with key project documents.Ogwang says the lack of information has made it difficult for local leaders to effectively monitor the progress and implementation of the project.

Meanwhile, the Assistant Resident District Commissioner for Dokolo, Isaac Oceng, said even the security team was not informed about the project.Oceng described the situation as a sign of poor coordination between the Ministry of Works and local authorities.

At the community level, Agwata Sub-county LC3 Chairperson, KG Moris Okao, also criticized the lack of engagement between the project team and residents.Okao said local people have not been given employment opportunities on the project, despite the expectation that government projects should provide some benefits to surrounding communities.

Meanwhile, some residents disputed claims by Ministry of Works officials that construction started in March this year.The residents said the works that began in March were abandoned and only resumed about two weeks ago.

The Parliamentary Committee on Quality Assurance has tasked the government to expedite the construction of Amodo bridge in Dokolo District, saying the project has taken too long to complete.The committee made the call on Thursday during an inspection of the project in Agwata Sub-county.The committee chairperson and Mityana Municipality MP, Francis Zaake, expressed concern that the project, which was expected to commence in 2018, is currently only five percent complete.

Zaake accused the Ministry of Works and Transport of failing to do enough to ensure timely completion of the project. He urged the ministry to work closely with local leaders to improve monitoring and implementation.

Ochero County MP, Francis Okullu also urged the Ministry of Works and Transport to ensure the project is completed on time, saying the bridge will ease trade and movement between communities in Amolatar and Dokolo districts.

The project manager, Engineer Richard Odongo, acknowledged that progress on the project has been slow. He attributed the delays to the late supply of equipment and changes to the project design after water levels in the swamp rose significantly.Odongo pledged to recruit more local residents as construction activities increase and said the project is expected to be completed by January 2028.

Government first pledged to construct Amodo Bridge in 2017 following a commitment by President Yoweri Museveni. The latest design puts the cost of the project at about seven billion shillings.However, more than eight years after the pledge, the bridge remains far from completion, raising concerns among local leaders and residents who depend on it for transportation and trade between Dokolo and Amolatar districts.END[