The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Amuru, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Armed personnel from Uganda Wildlife Authority – UWA have blocked construction project of a major community access road in the disputed remote areas of Apaa in Amuru district.
The personnel blocked construction of the 20km Lacmon to Apaa (Section 1&2) roads from Pabbo Sub-County worth 1.7 billion Uganda Shillings. The roads are expected to link remote areas of Lakang through Kololo to Kampala landing site on the Nile river bank.
Michael Lakony, the Amuru District LC 5 Chairperson disclosed that the armed rangers blocked the contractor after they were to start working on the road and building bridges following initial site bush clearance.
Lakony told URN that they contacted UWA that later admitted issuing a directive to halt the road construction process because it was passing through the gazetted East Madi Conservation Area under Adjumani district local government.
Linda Agnes Auma, the Resident District Commissioner of Amuru criticized the interference by UWA as sabotage to the peace, recovery and economic development efforts of the district after the two-decade long insurgency by the Lord’s Resistance Army – LRA.
However, she divulged that efforts by the district authorities is underway to engage UWA and their counterparts of Adjumani District Local Government for a dialogue meeting to resolve the impasse.
When contacted, Edison Nuwamanya, the Area Conservation Manager of Murchison Falls Nation Park revealed that work was halted after they realized that the district did not conduct a social environmental impact assessment for the project. Up to six roads of about 80km in three sub counties of Pabbo, Amuru and Lamogi worth nine billion shillings are being constructed to connect the district to neighboring Paidah, Nebbi and Arua for trade linkages.
The road construction is being undertaken by Davrich Company LTD under the Project for Restoration of Livelihoods in Northern Uganda – PRELNOR, a Government initiative for the nine districts of Amuru, Nwoya, Pader, Omoro, Gulu, Lamwo, Agago, Kitgum and Adjumani under the control Ministry of Local Government.
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