Plea for motorised boat as floods cut off Dokolo communities
The urgent call follows a tragic incident last week in which two young women and a child lost their lives after a canoe carrying seven people capsized in the Amodo swamp.
A flooded road in Dokolo. (Photos by Hudson Apunyo)
Hudson Apunyo
Journalist @New Vision
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Local leaders in Dokolo district have appealed to the government to provide a motorised boat to help residents access essential services, as floods continue to submerge key roads in the region.
The urgent call follows a tragic incident last week in which two young women and a child lost their lives after a canoe carrying seven people capsized in the Amodo swamp.
The victims have been identified as Rachael Abonyo, 19, her eight-month-old baby, Junior Obongi, strapped to her back, and 20-year-old Mariam Ajok, who was reportedly pregnant. The group was travelling from their marital homes in Okwongodul subcounty to Agwata when the tragedy occurred.
Morris Okao, the LC3 chairperson of Agwata subcounty, revealed that the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) had earlier delivered materials to construct a bridge over the Amodo swamp, following advocacy by the late former Woman MP Cecilia Barbara Atim Ogwal.
A woman and children at their home in Kachung, Agwata Town Council ravaged by floods in photo taken last year.
However, the road was submerged before construction could begin, and the swamp has since transformed into a large lake.
“This road is vital as it connects four sub-counties—Agwata, Okwongodul, Kangai, and Kwera,” Okao said.
“Residents from Kangai, Kwera, and Okwongodul use it to reach Adwoki market in Agwata, while people in Agwata also rely on it to access Cwagere market in Kangai sub-county.”
He urged the government to provide a safe and reliable mode of transport to prevent further loss of life.
Dokolo district chairperson James Otto Apili echoed the plea, stressing that floods have severely disrupted life across the district.
He pointed out that several areas, including Kachung in Agwata Town Council, as well as Agwata, Kwera, Okwongodul, and Kangai sub-counties, have been permanently displaced, with farmlands now submerged.
“Many residents have lost their homes and livelihoods,” Otto said. “We urgently need a motorised boat to help our people navigate these flooded areas safely.”