Business in Otuke is almost coming to a standstill as traders and area leaders struggle to enter the district to do their work. On Saturday, traffic leading to Otuke district town council through Adwari –Aliwang trading Centre from Lira town was blocked as motorists and pedestrians struggled to use the battered road.
Daily town commuters from Adwari Sub County, market traders, and usual road users were blocked for hours as vehicles got stuck in the muddy road stretching from Lira town to Abim town via Orum town council.
Minister of State for Northern Uganda, Rebecca Otengo was one of the high profile persons caught in the stalled traffic on Saturday that dragged on for hours. Otengo was rushing for the burial of Alfred Oluge who was killed last Saturday during land clashes that left several injured. He was buried at Apoka village, Amwa parish in Olilim Sub County. She had to request residents to help push her stalled vehicle.
Steven Nyanga, Alebtong town council LCIII chief, was also delayed by the dangerous condition of the road and nearly missed a burial he was due to attend. This was after his car, registration number UAG 597E, got stuck and had to be rescued by the well-wishers who pushed his car out of the mud.
He appealed to the district leadership to liaise with the road authority to work on the road.
But Benson Ogwang Ogoo, Otuke district LCV chief, told URN that the road will soon be worked on. He said a UGX 2billion contract to construct a first class murrum road has been awarded by the Uganda National Road Authority.
He says the road constructed will stretche from Corner Apala in Alebtong district through Otuke district up to the border of Abim district about 90km.
Okello Joseph, an Adwari trading centre resident and trader, who meanwhile abandoned his journey after he discovered that the road was too slippery to use is not quite so patient. Okello was on his way to buy supplies for his shop from Orum town council.
He asked the leadership of Otuke district to consider working on the road under an emergency timetable as they wait for UNRA to act since they are the ones managing the road.
Another road stretching from Orum town council to Ogor and Okwang Sub Counties has remained bad and nearly impassable for the past six months according residents.
