Business
Kotido Elders Demand Government Action on Karamoja’s Impassable Roads
Elders in Kotido District, under the Kotido Elders Council, have appealed to the government to urgently tarmac key road networks in Northern Karamoja, warning that the current state of infrastructure is crippling service delivery, endangering lives, and fuelling insecurity.
The affected roads include the Moroto–Kotido, Soroti–Amuria–Otuke–Abim–Kotido–Kaabong route connecting to Karenga District, as well as other major links such as the Nakapelimoru–Patongor–Moroto road through Panyangara. These routes, elders say, are riddled with deep potholes, reduced to single-lane murram surfaces, and plagued by broken bridges. Following weeks of torrential rain, many stretches have become muddy traps for vehicles and motorcycles.
John Bosco Akore, Secretary of the Kotido Elders Council, expressed frustration that despite President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s repeated pledges to tarmac the Moroto–Kotido–Kaabong–Karenga road, the promise remains unfulfilled.
“Panyangara Bridge collapsed in the middle of the road and has caused several accidents, especially among cyclists,” Akore said. “Some routes are now death traps where armed warriors take advantage of dangerous spots to ambush travellers. If the government cannot maintain internal roads, it should at least tarmac the major district connectors.”
Akore also questioned why the Karamoja sub-region has been persistently overlooked, despite annual budget allocations for road works. He called on the Inspectorate of Government to investigate how road funds are being utilised, accusing a few individuals of exploiting the region’s security situation to embezzle resources meant for service delivery.
He warned that if government inaction persists, the community could resort to legal action for failing to provide safe roads, which have already claimed lives.
The situation is no better in Kaabong District. Youth councillor Godfrey Pulkol said several key roads are cut off or on the verge of collapse, including the Kopoth–Kotido route and the Kaabong–Kathile–Karenga link. “Sometimes travellers are forced to spend a night on the road when it rains,” Pulkol said, adding that road issues have now become campaign rhetoric for politicians rather than actionable priorities.
Even security roads, such as the Sinyu–Kobebe–Kotein and Loyoro–Lopedo–Kaabong routes, have suffered damage, with sections washed away and others rendered dangerously slippery.
Elders and youth leaders have united in urging the government to act swiftly, stressing that tarmacked roads would not only improve transportation and trade but also help combat insecurity by denying armed warriors the advantage of poor terrain.
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