Flash floods wash away Namalu bridge, cutting off Karamoja

By Steven Ariong

 Flash floods have washed away Namalu Bridge, affecting connectivity to neighboring districts including Mbale, Bulambuli, and Moroto.

The bridge located in Namalu Sub County in Nakapiripirit District was destroyed after yesterday’s heavy down pour that lasted about five hours.

By this morning, all the vehicles moving from Nakapiripirit to Mbale via Namalu had to divert to the Moroto -Soroti route via Katakwi District to Mbale, a distance of about 380 kilometers.

John Lokol, one of the travelers told the daily monitor that they had paid Shs 40,000 from Moroto to Mbale via Nakapiripirit but they were forced to pay another Shs12,000 for the bus to use an alternative to connect to Mbale.

John Nagiro the district chairperson of Nakapiripirit says the floods have also destroyed crops that were almost ready for harvest, calling upon the government to quickly work on the road.

When contacted, the state minister for works Musa Ecweru said a team of engineers had been dispatched to assess the extent of damage to determine the nature of emergency response required.

Written by Noelyn Nassuuna