TOP STORY: Stranded Trucks in Zombo as DRC Trade Route Crumbles Amid Broken Government Promises
ZOMBO DISTRICT, NORTHERN UGANDA —
Dozens of trucks ferrying goods to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are stranded in Zombo district, following the near-total collapse of the road leading to the Padea one-stop border point. The situation has effectively cut off critical supplies to DRC’s conflict-hit Ituri and Tshopo provinces, raising alarm over humanitarian and trade disruptions.
The blockage, worsened by persistent seasonal torrential rains, has rendered sections of the national road in Abanga and Nyapea sub-counties impassable. What should be a vital regional trade route has turned into a muddy, slippery trap, immobilizing heavy trucks and other vehicles for days.
“This is outright government neglect,” said Francis Bolingo, LC V councillor for Athuma sub-county. He noted that a feasibility study to tarmac the road was completed in 2015, yet a decade later, the road remains untouched.
Bolingo warned that the poor road condition is not only hurting cross-border trade but also disrupting the lives of local communities — from health service delivery to business operations, and even access to education.
Former Okoro County MP Eng. Simon D’Ujanga dropped a bombshell, alleging that the Ministry of Finance has diverted funds earmarked for the 119km Nebbi–Goli–Paidha–Zombo–Zeu–Warr–Vurra road project on three separate occasions. He claimed that when questioned in the presence of President Yoweri Museveni, finance officials admitted to the diversions.
“This level of mismanagement is unacceptable,” D’Ujanga said, adding that continued inaction has crippled local economic potential and undermined regional integration efforts.
Sarah Adong, an aspiring Zombo District Woman MP, joined calls for urgent government intervention. “This road is key to our agricultural economy and trade with DRC. The people of Zombo have waited long enough,” she said.
Despite multiple presidential pledges over the years, including promises in 2022, 2024, and again earlier this year in Yumbe district, the road remains in a dire state. Museveni had earlier committed to applying first-class murram, later upgrading the promise to full tarmacking — yet no timeline has been provided, and no visible progress has been made.
The impassable road has become a symbol of unfulfilled promises and a growing point of frustration for both traders and citizens in Uganda’s West Nile sub-region.
