Nebbi: Residents protest the sorry state of a bridge after the death of one person

By mike Rwothomio and Ofoymungu Lee

Hundreds of residents from Pacaka Parish in Erussi Sub-County  Nebbi District have bitterly complained about the appalling state of Cidu footbridge on  Cidu stream at Nziri East Village. #WhisperEyeNews

This after Stephen Munguryek 54, a resident of Nziri East Village reportedly fell on the footbridge and drowned instantly only for his body to be discovered on November 5.

The residents are in a total state of bother saying for years, neither the District nor the Sub-County talked about the footbridge which is more of a “death trap”

The brother to the deceased Santos Omirambe said his brother went missing on Friday and expressed anger over the neglect of the footbridge by leaders.

” My brother went missing on Friday evening, we launched a  search for his body and we discovered his body in this stream, the condition of the footbridge is not good at all, we have been hearing that it will be worked upon but no one cares, here we are”. The teary and broken Omirambe told the Whisper Eye News at the scene.

This Publication understands that the footbridge has been worked upon more than five years ago.

The LC1 chairperson of Nziri East Village Sizenio Owechi said for a long time, the bridge has been causing accidents and now they are demanding that be fixed.

” We are tired of empty promises, we don’t need anything from them, we only need roads and bridge, from today onwards, we don’t want to listen to any leader coming to deceive us here, let them fix the footbridge, it has caused accidents to countless people here, we are so disappointed with the death of our brother,” He said.

Manuel Acikani a resident of Nziri East demand serious action from the government saying the footbridge acts as a pivotal crossing point to access many services. 

” As mothers, we feel the pain more often, we have schools across but no one can listen to our cries, where do you want us to go now if you the government that we voted for can’t help us, it’s a big challenge here” Acikani expressed her frustration

Cidu footbridge connects the community to Jupanziri Zone, Pacaka Primary School, Jupanziri Trading Center,  Emmanuel and St Timothy Nursery School, Jupanziri Health Center III, and Jupanziri Market amongst others.

Getting a response from The LC3 chairperson of Erussi Sub-County Orom Colin Jalacida proved futile by press time.

At the time of filing the story, Police from the Erussi police post were at the crime scene.

Recently,  a teenager’s body was also discovered in the Acwera stream in Alala Sub-county Nebbi District.

The Ministry of Works and Transport In April this year’s statistics indicated that nearly 3000 people drowned in Ugandan water bodies annually and some of the cases go unreported to authorities.

Apparently, concerns about the sorry state of roads and footbridges have become rife in greater Nebbi.

Last week,  The state minister of Northern Uganda  Grace Freedom Kwiocwiny whilst for the Coronation anniversary of Alur King at Parombo Town Council in Nebbi District Confirmed that local governments are having in their coffers the 1 billion shillings offered to them by the President for maintenance and rehabilitation of roads.