By Nathan Etengu

The Soroti-Katakwi-Moroto highway has been re-opened after the Komolo Bridge was repaired.
The Soroti-based Ministry of Works executive engineer, John Bigabwa, said the road was re-opened after new culverts were installed.

“The first vehicle to cross the bridge was a truck loaded with beer. It had been stranded on the Soroti side of the road since September 22 when the bridge was washed off by the floods,” Bigabwa said.

State minister for disaster preparedness Musa Ecweru said the re-opening of the road was a big relief to the Government interventions.

“We can transport relief items to Katakwi and Karamoja. The business community in Katakwi was also able to take goods to the cut–off areas. This is supplementing the Government’s intervention,” Ecweru said.

He added that his ministry would airlift food to Kobulin camp in Moroto.

The camp accommodates Karimojong children rounded up from the streets in Kampala.

The commanding officer of the UPDF 3rd Division, Col. Patrick Kankiriho, and the UPDF director of operations other than war, Col. Joseph Arocha, said the opening of the road would enhance military activities in Karamoja and also reduce the cost of airlifting relief food and non-food items to areas that were cut-off by the floods.

The cargo helicopter consumes 1,000 litres of jet fuel for each trip it makes.

The Ministry of Works was forced to close the Soroti-Katakwi and the Soroti-Mbale highway after sections of the roads were washed away by the floods.

The President, while addressing local leaders in Moroto and Soroti, said sh10b out of the sh22b approved by the Cabinet for emergency aid would be used to repair bridges and damaged roads.