Locals of Kakoge parish in Ojwina division in Lira municipality have blocked Opio Okaka road to express dissatisfaction over the state in which it is. The 5 Kilometer Opio Okaka road stretch from Juba road at Iganga Trading centre connects Kakoge B, Kakoge A and Obutuwelo B villages. However, the road stretch has become impassable to hundreds of town dwellers and school children because of huge pothole since the onset of the rain season.
On Tuesday evening, a group of residents closed the road using huge stones, logs and stick. As a result, travelers from the three villages trek for about three Kilometers through Rainbow village to access Aduku road to connect to Lira town.
Andrew Okello, who leaves close to the affected road, says that motorists had created a diversion through his land to dodge the huge potholes on the road.
He blames the local authorities for negligence that has left the road in the state of disrepair. Okello says that they took the decision to close the road as motorists had started encroaching on their land. Margaret Ajulu, a mother of 4 says that her children have been missing classes whenever it rains because of the bad road.
Emmanuel Ebong Opeto, the LC III chairman Ojwina Division says that they have not received funds from the municipality to rehabilitate the road. However, Morris Odung, the Mayor Lira Municipality insists that Ojwina division took the largest chunk of the shillings 1 billion budget for road works. He says currently they lack funds to carry out any major road works in the municipality. Residents have vowed to keep the road closed until; the authorities rehabilitate it despite pleas by local authorities.
