Catholic Relief Services, USAID commission Awach- Gangming community road

Residents of Awach Sub County in Abim District are excited over the rehabilitation of Awach- Gangming community road.

On Tuesday, the road was commissioned after funding from the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and USAID at a cost of 268 million Shillings. Awach sub-county residents say that following the rehabilitation of the road, they can now have access to basic services like markets, schools, and health facilities.

Charles Omugetum, the Acting Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Abim District who grew up in the area says that several people lost their lives in the hands of cattle rustlers who were using the road to carry out attacks.

Omugetum warned the residents against using ox- ploughs on the road while going to the garden.

“Some of these locals are stubborn because as they are going to the garden they plough the road. You should plough the garden, not the road so that it can stay for three, four, or five years,” he said. Charles Arube the District Engineer, said that the district will avail insufficient resources for routine maintenance of the road.

The 7.3km road which connects the three sub-counties of Awach, Kiru, and Orwamuge was last rehabilitated in 1998.

It connects to Orwamuge Health Center, Awach Market, and Awach Primary School.  It also links the sub-county to other districts of Otuke, Amuria, Soroti, Lira, Pader, and Agago in the Acholi sub-region.

In the past five years, USAID and the Catholic Relief Services have spent over 590,000 USD to upgrade nine roads that cover more than 54 km of access roads in 36 villages in the Karamoja sub-region.