Traffic on Kapchorwa–Mbale Highway paralyzed
Transport along the Kapchorwa–Mbale highway has been paralyzed after heavy floods washed away the Nalugugu Bridge in Sironko District on Sunday night. The bridge, which connects the Bugisu sub-region to Karamoja and Sebei, was destroyed following a heavy downpour that hit several parts of the region.
Traffic along the busy highway has since come to a standstill, with several heavy-duty trucks, buses, and Sino trucks stranded on either side of the broken section. One person was confirmed dead after being swept away by the flash floods while asleep in Nalugugu Parish, Bukise Sub County. Sironko Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Allan Wonabwa confirmed the incident.
Wonabwa noted that only motorcycles and light vehicles are being cautiously allowed to use the partially spared section of the bridge. He added that traffic police have been deployed to stop heavy vehicles from attempting to cross the damaged structure.
The floods also submerged food plantations and destroyed several smaller bridges in Bukise Sub County, Sironko Town Council, and parts of Mutufu Town Council. Ali Mwambu, a taxi operator in Sironko, said only motorcycles and some small cars are squeezing through a risky makeshift path that survived the floods. Local authorities have not given a timeline for repairs, while the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has been called upon to urgently intervene.
