By Mike Rwothomio

President Yoweri Museveni has directed the Ministry of Works and Transport to ensure the 119-kilometre Nebbi-Paidha-Zombo-Zeu-Warr-Vurra road is completed before 2028.

Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama, speaking on 17 September Thursday evening at Paidha Town Council grounds before hundreds of residents from Zombo District, assured the gathering that full tarmacking works on the strategic West Nile route would be completed before 2028.

He said President Museveni has directed the ministry to ensure the 119 kilometer of Nebbi-Paidha-Zombo-Zeu-Warr-Vurra road is completed before 2028.

“The president directed us we should finish this road before 2028. And now this is 2026. So I give them, these bad engineers, four weeks to finish the road design, Once that is done, we shall move swiftly to other processes, and I assure you the tarmacking will be finished before 2028,” Byamukama stated firmly.

Minister Byamukama has given ministry engineers a strict four-week ultimatum to finalize the design of the long-awaited 119-kilometre Nebbi-Paidha-Zombo-Zeu-Warr-Vurra road, clearing the path for its long awaited tarmacking.

The Nebbi-Goli-Paidha-Padea-Vurra road corridor is a vital economic route that generates substantial cross-border revenue and trade opportunities between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The road features multiple connecting points to the DRC, primarily through the border customs of Goli in Nebbi District and Padea in Zombo District where neighboring countries Like DR Congo, Kenya and others heavily rely on it.

The minister of works Fred Byamukama and state minister of ICT Alioni Yorke Odria was accompanied by area MPs of Zombo district including Ora County MP Grace Freedom Kwiocwiny, Zombo Woman MP Topista Acamfua and Okoro County MP Gabriel Okumu and other MPs on committee of infrastructure.

This if come to fulfilment will answer to the cry of former MP of Ora County Songa Biyika Lawrence who in last two terms of 10th and 11th Parliament urged the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development to fast-track available loan opportunities to fund the road, noting that its high potential for cross-border trade with the Democratic Republic of Congo makes it an investment with a strong returns.

According to the minister, immediately the Engineers bring designs, they will send another team to commence verification of property owners and subsequent valuation.

“And we expect all those things to start before February next year, we don’t want the president to come back here looking for votes yet you gave him, when this road is not finished” Byamukama said.

Byamukama who placed blames on ministry of works engineers for delayed road design of the Nebbi-Vurra road assured that the road works will compensate for the immense political support the voters have been according the president in every electoral cycle.

He urged Zombo residents to use the infrastructure for income generating activities rather than being idle.

This come weeks after the Zombo Woman MP Topista Acamfua reminded parliament about the pledge made by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni last year whilst for a campaign to tarmac Nebbi-Goli-Paidha-Zombo-Zeu-Warr-Vurra road.

The Nebbi-Paidha-Zombo-Zeu-Warr-Vurra road is a critical 119km route linking Nebbi Municipality through Paidha, Zombo, Zeu and Warr to the Vurra customs point in Arua District near the Democratic Republic of Congo border.

It serves as a major trade corridor for agricultural produce, including coffee, avocados, beans, maize and matooke from the fertile greater Nebbi area and facilitates cross-border commerce via key border posts at Goli, Padea and Vurra.

Residents and traders have long described the currently unpaved road as a “death trap,” especially during rainy seasons when sections become impassable, causing accidents, vehicle damage, delayed goods and economic losses.

Local leaders welcomed the latest progress

Zombo District LCV Chairperson James Oruna Oyullu commended the Ministry of Works for commencing the design process, describing it as a key preparatory phase before actual construction.

“We appreciate the ministry for starting the design. This is an important step that shows government is serious about upgrading this road that has troubled our people for many years,” Oyullu said, adding that “we are already seeing your teams on the ground”

Oyullu also asked for inclusion of the 14 Kilometer Okeyo-Pakadha-Padea road and the 11 kilometer Zombo-Atyak-Warr road to the national roads, saying the district is overwhelmed by roads network.

Resident District Commissioner Festus Ayikobua also welcomed the initiative saying “This road has remained a pressing infrastructure concern for our local communities for far too long. We are glad to see concrete action being taken,”

Community react

However, Francis Bolingo, Athuma Sub-county councilor and opposition coalition leader in Zombo District expressed caution.

“I will only be fully convinced after physical tarmacking begins on the ground. Promises have been made before; what we need now is action,” Bolingo remarked.

In a vote of thanks speech, Sam Kumakech, the director of youths, information and sports under the Alur Kingdom commended the minister of works for his abrupt visit in Zombo, saying “we believe in Aja (truth telling) as Alur people, we shall be happy once this is done” to which the Minister Byamukama responded by saying the question about the road is sorted already.

This step if fulfilled will address the long standing challenges of the ever slippery, impassable condition of the road during rainy season and its unbearable dusty condition during dry season.

For decades, Community across political divide have long voice concerns about this road with prominent religious and cultural leaders joining in spiritually calling for God’s intervention through the president to tarmac this ever sorry state of the road.

Minister Byamukama is currently on an inspection tour of road projects, having begun in the Bunyoro sub-region before moving to West Nile.

The design completion within four weeks is expected to accelerate funding mobilization and tendering processes, bringing residents closer to the long-sought tarmac surface that governments have pledged since at least the 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021 and 2026 election cycles.

The minister’s announcement builds on recent commitments by President Yoweri Museveni. During a campaign rally at Zombo Upper Primary School on 11 October 2025, the President pledged to tarmac the entire route in two phases, with the contract for the Nebbi-to-Zombo section to be signed in April 2026, followed by the Zombo-to-Vurra stretch.

The President noted that earlier national priorities had focused on major transit corridors, but this interior road was now firmly on the development agenda as part of broader network expansion across Uganda.

Minister of works Fred Byamukama arrived in Zombo

Zombo Residents converge at Paidha town council to listen to the Minister of work speech.

Mike Rwothomio is news editor at Zoomer Africa your number one grassroot information hub for African news trends and updates.