UGANDA, Kole | Real Muloodi News | Residents of Alito Sub-county in Kole District, Northern Uganda, are appealing to the World Bank for financial assistance to address the dire situation resulting from the collapse of eight rural bridges in the area.
These collapsed bridges have severely hampered the movement of goods and people, impacting access to social services and employment opportunities in the district.
The bridges affected by the collapse include Agwar, Agangoluto, Barakere, Olipa, Owinyodap, Orwa, Olukturu, and Adonyo-Ajili.
The reconstruction of these vital infrastructure links is estimated to require approximately USh9 billion, according to the Kole District engineering department.
Ms. Janet Adongo, the acting sub-county chief of Alito, highlighted the significant challenges posed by the collapsed bridges, emphasising the adverse effects on access to essential services.
The inability to traverse these bridges has not only disrupted daily activities but has also led to job losses and economic hardships for the residents.
Expressing the sub-county’s limitations in addressing the situation, Ms Adongo emphasised the need for external support, particularly from the World Bank, to rehabilitate the collapsed bridges and improve the overall road network in the area.
Her remarks came during a visit by a team from the World Bank and Ministry of Water and Environment to Tekulo Village, Apiioguro Parish in Alito Sub-county, as part of the monitoring of the Integrated Water Management and Development Project (IWMDP) in the Aswa II Catchment area.
The government through the Ministry of Water and Environment under the Directorate of Water Resources Management (DWRM) is currently implementing this project in sub-catchments of Lwakhakha (Mpologoma catchment), Lake Okolitorom, Apeduru Apapai (Awoja catchment), Kochi (Albert Nile catchment) and Aswa II (Aswa catchment).
The project supports the implementation of catchment management measures, including soil and water conservation, ecosystem protection and restoration; livelihood improvement for the affected communities and supporting stakeholder engagement and the establishment of micro-catchment structures for sustainable management of the interventions.
Mr. Richard Musota, assistant commissioner for Water Resources Planning and Regulation, expressed gratitude to the community members, and leadership of Alito Sub-County and Kole District for the great work done regarding the project.
“The issues we have are so many but if we use the little resources the way you have used them, then step by step we should be able to address most of these things,” Mr. Musota said, adding that the locals have demonstrated that they have the will to solve issues that affect them.
Mr Barnabas Mubangizi, an official from the World Bank, said the beneficiaries’ testimonies show the project is generating a huge impact.
“I’m going back; you’ve loaded me with a lot [of issues] that I have to share the story [with other colleagues]. I hope and pray that I will be able to use my pen to share this story which I’ve seen down here, more especially to do with community participation. You never know, maybe it might yield other things,” he said.
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