The construction works of a 10- kilometer road connecting to Tisai Island in Kumi district has excited residents who have been struggling to operate businesses and access their homes. Traders and residents in the area have been either walking or riding to access the area with an estimated population of 6,000 people.
In 2019, Kumi District carved Tisai Island from Ongino Sub County as an independent administrative unit. But its status on infrastructure has not changed over the years with the major obstacle being the transport network. On Tuesday, the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), Frank Tumwebaze launched the construction of Acelakweny- Tisai Road and Bridge.
The construction work is expected to last seven months, thanks to the Agriculture Cluster Development Project (ACDP) in partnership with MAAIF and the World Bank, financed by the International Development Assistance (IDA). According to Tumwebaze, their intervention is to facilitate the value chain of commodities.
Ben Chilakol, the Tisai Island Sub County Chairperson, says that they don’t have social amenities such as schools, health facilities and clean water. Chilakol says that every time they ask for infrastructure, issues of access to the area come into play.
Tom Okurut, a representative of farmers in Tisai Island, said that the area has been disadvantaged because of the absence of roads. He notes that although Tisai Island is the land of opportunities, limited access to the island has affected its development.
Okurut who donated a heifer to the minister on behalf of the farmers in Tisai, said that the Island has the highest number of cattle per capita in Kumi district.
The road will be constructed by Pab Engineering Company at a cost of six billion Shillings.
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