November 19 started on a brighter note as my colleagues and I embarked
on an 8-hour drive to Nakapiripirit district, in north-eastern Uganda for an
assignment. Driving through the paved road from Kampala to the junction that
goes to Kapchorwa was an awesome experience. But, this excitement was
short-lived as the car wheels stepped on a loose 130km road stretch that leads
to Moroto via Nakapiripirit. To say this road is bumpy is understatement.
As our car waggled through the potholes our hearts nearly jumped out of
our bodies. But, this was a tip of the trouble that lay ahead of us. It took us
two hours to drive a distance of 30 kilometres on this rough road. It seemed we
weren't paying attention to what the road was already telling us that: it’s
impassable! Mission impossible.
Indeed, we did not drive farther before we got stuck. We got out of the
car and began pushing. That was the beginning of endless car pushing episodes. When
we got out of the muddy section of road; we could only drive for less than 10
minutes and got stuck again. This time the car could not move forward or backward;
we were real stuck. It was getting dark.
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| Community members helping out push our car out of the muddy road to Nakapiriprit. |
We spent the night at that spot and waited for the sun, then retreated. That's
one of our upcountry dilemmas. The roads there can really be nastily impassable.
On that day, even 4-wheel drive cars could not make it. It had just rained. People
living on this road say it's a normal occurrence. They have come to terms with
it!
Once stuck you could not move forward or backward. It was a nightmare.
I've been on worse roads but this was the worst.
While many of us bemoan the countless potholes we hit while driving on
some roads in Kampala, at least we are sure we will reach our destination
without ever requiring the services of a towing vehicle. But, on the road to
Nakapiripirit the traveller’s prayer is that you reach your destination no
matter how many times you are towed after every time you get stuck.
When our car got stuck I could not stop wondering at the kind of
leaders that hail from this area –leaders who cannot afford at least a passable
road network for their populace. A local council leader gave me an amusing
answer; “they are sipping beer in Kampala and come here by choppers when it is
election time.”
When we got stuck for the fifth time and being pulled by another van the
question on my mind was whether leaders from this often use the same road or
they fly. But, I didn't get clear answers;
Do they even come here? Exactly that was a common answer. I heard they come
to this area during dry spells. During rainy periods they just stay put and
sip booze in posh Kampala bars instead of lobbying for better a road network.
Another LC leader told me the impassable road has made the supply of
essential goods like salt difficult because traders can't easily move
So who will fix these Kapchorwa-Nakapiripirit roads? The road seems not
to rank high on the Ministry of Works and Transport priority list. Instead, the
ministry has opted to first fix a stretch on the Nakapiripirit Moroto road. Yet, money spent
on punishing Kampala Lord Mayor Lukwago alone could cause a significant change
in that Kapchorwa-Nakapiripirit road! That would be money well spent. It seems
priorities in this land are upside down.
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