The 122km Nebbi-Goli-Paidha-Padea-Zombo-Warr-Vurra road in West Nile has become a flashpoint of political anxiety for ruling party legislators ahead of the 2026 general elections.
UG Exclusive inspectors have learnt that the continued neglect of the road is raising concerns not only about President Museveni’s vote share in the region, but also about the electoral fortunes of local MPs and district chairpersons.
Katherine Mavenjina Akumu, the Northern Uganda MP representing elderly persons, has appealed to the electorate across the greater Nebbi sub-region, comprising Nebbi, Zombo, and Pakwach districts, to re-elect President Yoweri Museveni, despite their mounting frustration over the unfulfilled road infrastructure pledge.
Speaking after her victory in the NRM party primaries as Chairperson for Elderly Persons in Paidha Town Council, during an event held at Bar Okoro Stadium on Friday, May 16, 2025, Akumu urged voters, regardless of political leaning, to support President Museveni.
“We need to ensure we support NRM. Even if you vote for me and not Museveni, it will be useless. We have to clean the grounds for Museveni,” she pleaded.
Akumu also confirmed her intention to seek re-election in 2026 to continue representing elderly persons in the region.
She said consultations with constituents in Karamoja, Lango, Acholi, and West Nile had been promising.
“The people of Karamoja gave me their blessings and named me ‘Nakiru’ after covering me in their traditional fabric during a heavy downpour, which they said symbolized victory. In Lango, an elderly woman offered me her blessings while holding a rosary. In Acholi East, I received ‘uboku ulyedhu’, a symbolic green leaf used during important Luo rituals. These signs assure me that the North is behind me,” Akumu said.
However, rising tensions in Greater Nebbi are threatening to erode long-standing support for the ruling party.
The road in question links critical one-stop border posts in Goli, Padea, and Vurra, facilitating trade with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Despite feasibility studies being completed five years ago, the road remains in a deplorable state.
UG Exclusive has further learnt that during rainy seasons, sections become completely impassable, leaving both cargo and passenger transport stranded.
“For sure residents and road users have taken to social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and WhatsApp, as well as local radio and TV stations, to express their frustration, citing a lack of political will to address the issue, but nothing has been done yet,” said Okumu Innocent, a resident of Zombo.
According to Okumu, the situation recently prompted a planned peaceful protest by West Nile MPs led by Padyere County MP Ismael Utimgiu Isaaka, which was later blocked by police in Nebbi District.
Ora County MP Lawrence Songa Biyika has repeatedly criticized the Ministries of Works and Finance for not prioritizing the road, despite its importance for trade, border security, and local economic development, particularly for agriculture-based communities.
Songa noted that while construction of the Adoka River bridge on the Zombo-Arua border has commenced, progress is slow.
He called for more funding and the engagement of additional contractors to fast-track the construction of other critical bridges along the route, including Umol, Aniza, Ora, Nyagak, and Ayuda.
“There is growing concern that while the President may still win, he may not receive the overwhelming support he once enjoyed,” a concerned NRM source noted during an interview.
Nonetheless, NRM loyalists in Zombo District are working to shore up support ahead of the elections. Key mobilisers like Stephen Okwaimungu, West Nile ambassador of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), and Bosco Adoni, NRM Chairperson of Alangi Sub-county, are actively organizing to maintain political momentum.
