Pager Division in Kitgum Municipality has started opening up 9.942 kilometers of roads.
The funds for the reopening were allocated to the municipality by the Central Government, under the Discretionary Development Equalization Grant (DDEG).
Patrick Ouma, the Senior Assistant Town Clerk of Pager Division, says that in the financial year, 2019/2020, the division used the DDEG funds for renovating their office block, and in the financial year 2020/2021, for opening roads in Pondwongo Ward at 21 Million Shillings.
Ouma says they are only waiting for the Bulldozer from Gulu, and expect the works to start soon.
Morris Santo Oyoo, the LCIII Pager Division, says the roads will be opened in Lemu East, Lemu West and Pager A cells. He adds that the physical planner and surveyors were already on the ground pegging the areas where the roads will be opened.
Oyoo reveals that road connectivity still remains a big challenge in the division because schools such as Kitgum Progressive College, Global View Primary School, and well as Pager Health Center II at the division do not have direct roads connecting them. He says in the next financial year; they have decided to budget for 40 million shillings for the opening of at least 20 kilometers of roads in the division.
Oyoo says they plan to finish road opening in the division within the five years when the current council finishes its tenure so that the challenge of inaccessibility in the division is solved.
Emmanuel Ojok, a resident of Padol in Lemu West Cell is happy about the development, saying it is difficult to move around especially at night because there are no direct roads, to some places.
“For instance, if you want to go to Kitgum PTC, you have to go up to Lamit Kapim central cell to connect to the main road. Yet if there was a road through Padol, the journey would be shorter,” Ojok says.
Beatrice Akun, another resident of the division, says the poor road networks in the area greatly inconveniences the residents who want to access some public services.
Akun however, says the roads being opened are often left unattended, and locals again start farming and using them as dumping areas. She cites Olara Otunu Road, which she says was opened but is not being maintained.