Residents of Alito and the traders across Karamoja have raised concerns over the dilapidated state of the Alito bridge in Kapelebyong district.
The bridge connects Teso sub-region to the Karamoja sub-region and the bridge is on the main route used by the traders to transport their commodities from Soroti to Karamoja.
In the past years, the bridge left traders counting losses especially during the rainy seasons when the vehicles get stuck. Vehicles blocked road and forced traders and other passengers to spend days and nights at the bridge.
The bridge that stretches for about one kilometre becomes impassable when it rains with its fast-flowing water killing over 30 people last year.
Following last year’s incident, in which several lives and property were lost, the government has done no repairs. The neglect has left the road with potholes making travelling “a scare” along the road.
Okwir who represents Alito sub-county in the council said the road has become bad and heavy vehicles have now slept on the road for over two days.
He added that the rains haven’t yet resumed fully but the road has already become impassable.
When the rains resume fully, he said, there are chances the situation will be worse than last year.
The local leader appeals to the government to repair the bridge and grade it with first-class murram to rescue the travellers.
Iyoku Dinay, a trader in Kotido who deals in vegetables and brings them from Soroti, says they incurred a lot of losses last year and her business nearly collapsed.
He is worried that this year is likely to become worse, noting that nothing has been done on the road so far.
Amoni Sarah from Alito trading centre says several patients have died due to failed referrals from Kapelebyong to Soroti Regional Hospital.
She blames the state of the road and the bridge for the deaths.
Alito is also the major route connecting people travelling from Kaabong, Kotido and Abim to eastern Uganda and beyond.
