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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 customs 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 from 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.
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