URN.President, Yoweri Museveni pledged to construct the bridge in 2004. However, work on the bridge started in 2011 and was completed in 2016 at Shillings 1.4Billion. Although the community has been using the bridge, it had never been commissioned officially.
The Health Minister, Dr. Jane Aceng Ocero has commissioned Kaguta bridge six years after construction.
Formerly known as Acwa, Kaguta bridge located in Agweng sub-county in Lira District was constructed by Coil Limited to provide a crossing over River MorotIt connects Alebtong and Otuke in Lango to the other districts in Acholi sub-region including Kitgum and Pader.
President, Yoweri Museveni pledged to construct the bridge in 2004. However, work on the bridge started in 2011 and was completed in 2016 at Shillings 1.4Billion. Although the community has been using the bridge, it had never been commissioned officially.
On Friday, the Health Minister, Dr. Jane Aceng Ocero officially commissioned the bridge on behalf of the president. The event was witnessed by the Ministry of Works and Transport officials, members of parliament and leaders from the three districts.
Speaking at the event, the Ministry of Works Permanent Secretary, Bageya Waiswa, explained that the commissioning was delayed because there were other sideline activities such as river training, which had to be done for the sustainability of the bridge.
He also said “the communities further requested the Ministry to have their access roads connecting the bridge done and to this the ministry accepted. Accordingly, 2kms on the Barlonyo bank was done and 3kms on the Barjobi side were also graded to gravel standards and all these extra works outside the contract were done by our self through force account.”
He advised the local governments to ensure that the bridge is well maintained, saying infrastructural maintenance is a huge challenge across the country.
Similarly, in a speech read by Dr. Jane Aceng, President Museveni warned the community against mismanaging the bridge, saying the government will not have money to re-work it anytime soon.
Meanwhile, the various district leaders used the opportunity to present requests for other bridges to be worked on by the Ministry, saying their districts do not have enough money to construct them.
This is a 3-spand 30-meter reinforced concrete bridge. The clear height is 8meters with a 10-meter deck and a pedestrian walkway of 1.5 meters wide on both sides.
