200 Travellers Stranded in Moroto Due to Heavy Rains

About 200 passengers are stranded in Moroto town following a heavy downpour on Thursday evening that rendered Moroto-Nakapiripirit-Soroti road impassable.

 

Vehicles have been stuck at Katanga village since nightfall yesterday blocking the road, a kilometer from Moroto town.

 

Most passengers who talked to Uganda Radio Network were upset with the road conditions in Karamoja. They say government should have concentrated on roads before building a power line to Moroto.

 

John Bosco Opolot, a stranded passenger, says the poor roads are bogging down their business travel plans. He explains that he was supposed to meet business partners but he has delayed by a day. He says the cancellation of his business meeting has deeply affected him. What makes the ordeal worse is that it is almost impossible to recall his booked bus ticket as the bus owners insist they will continue with the journey when possible.

 

Hajji Ahmed Scania, a Gateway bus driver, says at least the public has been patient for too long with the bad roads.  He explains that drivers were facing a lot of difficulties along the roads to Karamoja. He adds that the roads to the sub region require urgent construction and repairs. He notes that the rainy season just beginning, travel is going to be near impossible on Karamoja roads.

 

Hassan Ssentamu, the Uganda National Roads Authority Station Engineer says the Chinese have started working on the Namalu-Moroto road. He says the roads authority cannot carry out any repairs unless on a stretch from Nadunget to Soroti among others. He however asks the truck drivers to desist from digging up the road whenever they get stuck.