Former MP arrested for inciting violence

Lira, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Issa Otto Amiza, the former Oyam South member of parliament is in trouble for organizing an illegal demonstration.

North Kyoga police picked up the former legislator on Monday morning from his home shortly after announcing his planned demo over the radio.

Amiza said that he was mobilizing the Lango community to stage a peaceful demonstration over the poor status of Lira Kamdini road.

Addressing journalists shortly after Amiza’s arrest, the North Kyoga Regional Police Commander, Anatoli Katungwenzi, said he was picked up for inciting violence among locals.

Lawrence Egole, the Lira City Resident Commissioner says that security gathered substantial evidence that Amiza’s planned protest was politically motivated other than expressing grievance over the poor status of the road.

Egole who said all the leaders across Lango sub-region are not happy with the status of the road, sounded a warning to those with plans to hold such demonstrations to stay away.

Lira-Kamdini road has remained in an appalling state since 2009 when it was last rehabilitated by Dot Services Limited. In 2019, UNRA started conducting routine maintenance of the road with minimal impact because of the extent of the damage.

A statement issued by UNRA on January 13th, 2022 attributes the delayed works on the road to delayed World bank funding.

“Due to the environmental and social restrictions by the bank (because of the outstanding ESHS documentation), the intervention is limited to scarification and compaction. The contractor is continuing with this activity until the source of aggregates is approved.”

The government awarded the contract for the road works to a Portuguese firm, Mota-Engil Africa. The highway stretches from Lira city through Corner Molem in Kole to corner Kamdini in Oyam under the NERAMP project.

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