ROAD USERS DISAPPOINTED OVER DELAYED COMPLETION OF FOOTBRIDGE IN ARUA CITY

By Erema George

Arua City

Residents and road users have re-echoed their plea to the authorities over the delayed completion of the footbridge on Enyau River close to Bethany prayer center in Olumini cell, Ayivu division, Arua City.

With the works initially supposed to have been completed within a month from July, 2025, the work is on standstill to date prompting the residents and road users to continuously beg the authorities to come to their rescue.

Amin Ratib, an elder in the cell narrated how people suffer along the road during rainy days.
“When people cross here during rainy days they suffer so much because when you look at those stones, they are weak. When it floods the stones are washed away making people suffer a lot. Money was given, is this how the work should be done? It’s a problem for us because it’s still raining,” Ratib said.

On his part, Ibrahim Itima, states that the pace at which the work is done is too slow yet it was expected to get done within a month from its launch.
“While launching, it was given a month but afterwards the work commenced but it’s not helping us because it’s moving too slow and the water keeps disturbing us. Last time it flooded and washed away the alternative bridge. There’s need to finish this work, the speed is too slow. From July till today, we don’t know whether that’s a month. People are crying, their thought is like there should be no road here now.” Itima explained.

Sharif Baduru, a boda boda rider who stages near the footbridge states that leaders should help them to finish the work on the bridge.
“People complaint a lot because of this small work, we are asking these people to come and finish the work if at all they have seen how we suffer because everyone in this community has suffered including us the boda-boda.” Baduru adds.

When contacted, the central division town clerk Malik Drakuma states that the works on the bridge is not a minor work but a major work and pledges to share more after a site meeting.

In August, residents of this Cell raised similar concerns to the authorities about the footbridge reconstruction that was reportedly funded by a 47 million Shilling budget, and demanded an upgrade to support small vehicles and ambulances for emergencies. 
 
 

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