Drivers blamed for worsening road condition in Zombo

By Mike Rwothomio

Heavy truck drivers that ply the 13 km Okeyo-Pakadha-Padea border custom road in Zombo District  have come under scathing criticism, for reportedly  creating potholes on the road.

Snaking queues of heavily loaded  trucks to and from Padea border custom can be seen from Okeyo junction in Thanga Parish, Abanga Subcounty.

The trucks are  unable to easily  maneuver   after some drivers using  rudimentary tools  augmented  the situation, by digging a muddy section of the road as they attempted to clear a small slippery pathway local leaders told this Publication.

Sunday Okirwoth , One of the LC1 chairpersons  in  Thanga Parish said the situation has worsened at Got Orombu  hill next to Okeyo chapel .

An  elder Thanga Parish  called Thomwa said ” the drivers and conductors are the one spoiling the road, why cant they wait for that small muddy section to dry and then they pass, they are to blame according to me”

A resident of Paidha town council identified as Alfred Odaga, talked  of his experience on the road saying ” this is terrible,  I almost failed to pass with my motorbike”

However, LCV chairperson of Zombo James Oruna Oyullu equally blamed the drivers for worsening the situation ” by using their own rudimentary tools to instead create more potholes and mud on the road making it impassable”

A Congolese truck driver who identified himself as Kalala said  due to impassable nature of the road ,  they have been unable to  access  the road for five  days.  He noted   ” not all of us are digging pathways on the road, we stayed here for almost five days now, the road is impassable”

The heavy downpour that is  pounding  the region has exacerbated the situation by making the roads slippery, muddy and impassable.

In 2022, The ministry of works and transport took over maintenance of the road after the leadership of Zombo District wrote to them requesting for it’s take over given the importance of the road that connects to DR Congo.

Padea border custom will soon be Upgraded to one stop border post.

Recently, the LCIII chairperson of Paidha Town Council Innocent Godfred Onega, appeals to government to tarmac the road , noting of its pivotal role in connecting Uganda and DR Congo.

Last year, the executive director of Uganda National Roads Authority Allen Kagina, inspected  the road up to Padea Town Council  and  acknowledged the value of the road to the government given the traffic on it.