Denis Otii.

Locals in the Amuru district are struggling to access services and carry on with their daily activities due to the poor road situation in their district. Part of the district borders a river which requires the construction of a bridge worth 1.5 billion shillings for it to be able to connect to other parts of the district.

The district's local government is grappling with about 800 kilometres of unkempt roads which were supposed to be worked on with funds expected from the government that has delayed thus far.

 Amuru district joins several other communities in Uganda scrapping with the same problem including Kampala central business district. Gen Yoweri Museveni directed the release of funds to commence work on some of these roads which is yet to be affected.

Amuru district local Government is struggling to maintain over 800 kilometres of roads due to inadequate and untimely funding under Uganda road funds. Most of the roads both the district and community roads are currently impassable hindering access to the services like health and food.

Despite the increment in funding directed to roads from 400 million to 1 billion shillings the district still struggles to maintain or open up new roads. This leaves some parts of the district still cut off from the rest of the district.

Like other parts of Amuru, Okomraa Atiak sub-county locals struggle to access services like health, education and other services since their village is cut off from the rest of the sub-county due to a lack of roads to access the other side of the district.

Residents of Amuru explain how they struggle to access services and markets for their produce due to no roads and little success in crossing the river. They say that many times they are always forced to heal from home whenever they fall sick due to poor road access.

When you want to go to the Garden, you find the water level has risen you need to go back home. If you find that the water level is high, you don’t need to go any further and must stay home.

Before we had this road, whenever you produce food and you don’t have money, you felt you should take foodstuff to the market for sale. But the water level is high, it is a hard struggle between you and the water. Sometimes water takes some part of the food. There is no other good road for us in this society.

This water, when there is a bridge it is accessible. Even if there is any sudden happening in the night it makes it easier to save the patient. That is when the road is proper.

Part of the district area borders river Unyama which requires construction of a bridge worth 1.5 billion shillings in order to be effective. This is forcing locals to devise alternative means to cross the river which is a danger to their lives since some time back the river claimed some local’s lives.

Michael the Amuru district chairperson confirms that most of the district's roads are impassable and in bad condition. He added that due to unstable funding from the road fund, the district can only maintain a few roads across the district leaving many others in a poor state.