Africa-Press – Uganda. Traveling to Karamoja sub-region via Mbale, Bulambuli to Moroto is currently difficult after floods washed away the main bridge for the second time again.
The Namalera Bridge located in Namalu Sub County in Nakapiripirit District was destroyed by Wednesday’s heavy downpour that lasted for about five hours.
By Thursday morning all the vehicles heading to Mbale via Namalu had to return and use Moroto-Soroti road via Katakwi District, a distance of about 380 kilometres to Mbale town.
Mr John Lokol, one of the travelers, told Daily Monitor that they had paid Shs40,000 from Moroto to Mbale via Nakapiripirit but they were made to pay an additional Shs12,000 for the bus to take another route.
Mr Tony Agatha, the Nalamu Sub County chief said apart from washing away the bridge, the floods also destroyed crops that were getting ready for harvesting, creating a big room for hunger in the area.
“Some people were planning to harvest their crops but now the rain has destroyed them all, I don’t know how some will survive in the near future,” he said.
Mr John Nagiro, the Nakapiripirit District Chairperson, said it’s not the first time the floods are destroying the bridge and called upon the government to quickly work on it.
The state minister for works Mr Musa Ecweru said he was soon dispatching a team of engineers to go and make an assessment of the damaged bridge for quick rectification.
