Footbridge becomes death trap for pupils

Pupils and residents of Nebbi Municipality are risking their lives to cross River Nyacara on a log after the existing makeshift bridge  was swept away by floods.

Area leaders are concerned that this may disrupt next month’s Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) since it is a major crossing for many pupils to various schools in the area.

The existing temporary bridge over River Nyacara, which is has been used as a shortcut to various schools as well as Nebbi Hospital was swept away by the floods last month and has not been worked on.

Since most parents can’t afford transporting their children using long distance routes on boda boda, the children still use the risky foot bridge to access their schools.

The proprietor of Nebbi Baptist Church Primary and Nursery School, Pastor Stanley Unyuth, said some children have abandoned the school whenever it rains because they fear falling in the river and drowning.

“The little ones in nursery cannot cross on this foot bridge. We have asked the municipality authorities to improvise a bridge for us because patients accessing services at Nebbi Hospital are also in danger of falling in the river while crossing on this pole,” he said on Monday.

Pastor Unyuth added that if it is not fixed quickly, some children sitting PLE will not be able to keep time. 

In 2012, after Daily Monitor published a photo of pupils crossing the footbridge, the town council authorities then improvised a wooden one that has been helping residents and pupils to cross safely.

But it was last month swept away by floods.  A parent, Mr Chrispino Okwong, said the two bridges being swept away by floods should have been a wakeup call to the area authorities to build a permanent one. He said the bridge serve as an alternative route to various institutions.

Mr Okwong called on corporate companies  to join the community to rebuild the foot bridge since it has taken long  for the municipality to work on it.

When contacted on Tuesday, the Deputy Town Clerk of Nebbi Municipality, Mr Maliki Drakuma, said the two foot bridges will be rebuilt using funds they have received from the Ministry of Works and Transport.

“We are committed to see that the bridges are rebuilt to allow children access to their various schools. We shall engage the community to ensure the bridges are rebuilt,” Mr Drakuma said.

He said the budget of the municipal council for the Financial Year 2022/23 is Shs400 million for road maintenance, which he said was meagre to meet the demands.

Background

Heavy rain pounding different parts of the country has destroyed several roads and bridges, paralysing transport. The government has released Shs134 billion to all districts to renovate and maintain roads. 

Works minister Gen Katumba Wamala says another Shs100 billion has been released to Unra from the road fund to maintain damaged roads.