Heavy rains are damaging roads across the Lango Sub-region, making travel difficult for residents and raising transport costs for farmers trying to reach markets. Local leaders are questioning why several priority roads across the region's nine districts and Lira City appear to have been left out of planned national road upgrades. David Kennedy Odongo, the former Alebtong District chairperson, said routes such as Amolatar-Dokolo, Lira-Aloi-Otuke-Abim-Kotido and Ngeta-Baralegi have previously been proposed for improvement but remain in poor condition. He noted that poor connectivity is making travel for business, education and healthcare increasingly difficult for residents moving between Lira, Otuke and Oyam.
In Lango, where agriculture is an important source of household income, poor roads are particularly damaging. Odongo explained that farmers cannot easily reach markets with their produce, forcing them to sell crops at lower prices to buyers who reach their villages rather than transporting goods to trading centres where they could earn more. Rising fuel prices are compounding the problem by increasing transport costs and squeezing farmers' earnings. Odongo said the situation undermines government efforts to improve household incomes through the Parish Development Model, which seeks to move households from subsistence production into the money economy.
Local government officials are struggling to maintain extensive road networks with limited funding and ageing equipment. Amolatar District chairperson Morish Ogwal Omara said the district has engaged its technical team to seek emergency funding from the Office of the Prime Minister to address damage caused by heavy rains. Lira District chairperson RCM Okello Orik said the district's road maintenance efforts are constrained by ageing machinery, limiting the ability of local government teams to respond effectively to damaged roads. Patrick Ogwang, a former Lira City Development Forum president, called for an emergency response plan to help local governments repair damaged sections and questioned whether the annual Shs1 billion road maintenance allocation to districts is sufficient.
Leaders are calling for long-term investment in tarmac roads and immediate maintenance of existing routes. Ogwang also emphasised the importance of connecting roads around Akii-Bua Olympic Stadium and routes linking the facility to Lira City and the airport, saying accessible roads are essential for transporting athletes, officials and spectators during major events. Without intervention, leaders warn that farmers could continue losing income through high transport costs, businesses could face supply disruptions and residents could struggle to reach essential services.