MP Ongorok Leads District Roads Committee To Inspect Key Roads In Katakwi

 October 22, 2026   |    118 views

 
By Benjamin Epeduno 

Katakwi District Roads Committee has conducted an extensive field inspection of roads across the district to assess progress of works and identify critical bottlenecks affecting road maintenance.

The committee is chaired by the Member of Parliament for Usuk County, Hon Ongorok Richard, and brings together a high-powered team of district and national leaders. Members of the committee include Hon Peter Ogwang, the Ngariam County MP and Minister of State for Education and Sports in charge of Sports, who was represented by the District Speaker Hon Abur Betty Okumu, Hon Ossiya Solomon, the Toroma County MP, Hon Alupo Jessica Epel, the Woman MP for Katakwi District who is also the Vice President of Uganda, District Chairperson Hon Omolo Geofrey, Secretary for Works Hon Amongin Francis, Chief Administrative Officer Opio Samuel Baker and District Engineer Apio Eseza Lydia.

During the exercise, the committee sampled six strategic roads across the three counties of Katakwi, which included Orimai – Kokorio, Toroma – Akurao, Odoot – Olupe – Oriau, Olela – Osudan, Adacar – Okuliak and Ongongoja – Obwobwo roads.

Speaking during the inspection, Hon Ongorok Richard said the purpose of the exercise was to obtain first-hand information on the current status of road works and the limitations faced by the technical team, in order to provide proper guidance, give policy direction and inform decision-making on the unique terrain challenges facing Katakwi.

Ongorok emphasized that the major focus of the district is to ensure all roads are fully motorable throughout the year by raising low-lying swamp sections and providing adequate water passage structures to prevent roads from being washed away during heavy rains.

He explained that ongoing works will mainly concentrate on bush clearing, grading, spot murraming, swamp raising and culvert installation to improve connectivity and access to markets, health facilities and schools.

The committee however noted several critical challenges hampering effective road maintenance in the district. 

These include the sharp increase in fuel prices which has significantly reduced the planned kilometres to be covered, heavy rains that halt works especially in swampy areas, lack of adequate road equipment which has to be shared and struggled for with other districts, high cost of equipment repairs and facilitation for central mechanics dispatched from Bugembe, and the difficult soil terrain of Katakwi characterized by numerous heavy swamps that require far more resources than the one billion shillings road maintenance grant provided by government.

To address these challenges, the committee resolved on a number of intervention measures.

According to Hon Ongorok, the committee will intensify lobbying for dedicated road equipment to facilitate timely execution of works and push for direct procurement of equipment from the central government.

The team also plans to attract alternative sources of funding for road construction and maintenance.

Ongorok further revealed that the committee will present a comprehensive report to Parliament highlighting the dynamic nature of Katakwi soils and the high number of swamps vis-a-vis the meagre one billion shillings allocated for road maintenance, to justify the need for increased funding.

He added that as an interim measure, the district will consider hiring private road equipment to fast-track implementation of road works whenever deployment of central government equipment delays.