Residents to sue district over bad road

Sep 02, 2013

Residents of Apala parish in Alito sub-county are taking their local government to court over an ignored key road.

By Bonney Odongo

Residents of Apala parish in Alito sub-county feel they have had enough and are set to take Kole district local government to court over failure to grade the road connecting them to the district headquarters, schools and health centres.


Residents said the 13km-road, named Aero Nyero, that stretches from Aneka-Piri market to Bar-Pii Adwong, then to Ogwang Adar in Aboke sub-county Kole district has not been graded for the last five years.

John Bosco Dila, the area councilor of Apala Parish said five patients from the area have lost their lives on their way to Alito health centre because of the delays posed by the impassable road.

He identified the deceased as Lestina Alele, Grace Ongodi and three other people including two children whose names he could not readily mention.

“We have decided to take the district to court over this because we cannot keep on seeing our people die on the way to hospital while being carried on the shoulders just because a vehicle cannot access this area,” he said.

One of the worst incidences he recalled was of an expectant mother who was being transported on a bicycle delivered at midnight on the way to the health centre but her baby died due to lack of specialized care.

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Whenever it rains, most sections of the road are as good as a swamp. PHOTO/Bonney Odongo

Christopher Ogwal Omodo, 65, said the poor road has affected access to education as well, adding that Ogwang Adar, which is the nearest school to the parish, has been cut off from Wikulu Adwong.

“Our children are now staying at home without going to school because they cannot cross this flooded road,” he said.

He noted that early this year, information circulated within the sub-county that the road would be graded under the Community Agriculture Infrastructure Improvement Programme (CAIP) and all the measurements were taken but no work has started since then.

“We were told CAIP was going to work on this road but people are saying there is delay because the district chairman wants the contract for himself,” Delson Ogwal said.

Kole LC5 chairman however said the district has included most of the roads which are in appalling state in this financial year’s budget and would be worked on this year.

Kole MP Fred Ebil urged residents to stay their plan to drag the district to court as it would lead to serious loss on the side of the district.


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