Traders in Apac Municipality are counting losses and calling for urgent government intervention after road construction in front of their businesses stalled, blocking access to their shops.
The affected stretch along Akokoro and Lira Road streets is part of the Shs 317 billion, 90.9 km Rwenkunye-Apac Road project, jointly funded by the Islamic Bank and the government of Uganda and undertaken by Sadeem Al-Kuwait General Trading and Construction Company.
Traders say the contractor excavated the road two months ago and left deep channels that collect rainwater, leaving customers unable to reach their premises.
‘It’s now two months when these people worked here and disappeared. The rainwater has collected in the channel they dug, blocking access to my business premise, and my clients are now going to other shops,’ said Fred Tema, a trader along Akokoro Road.
Karhim Tusenge, a clothes dealer on the same street, told Monitor that his sales had collapsed.
‘I opened my shop in the morning but by afternoon I had never sold anything. I need to feed my family, the municipal council wants revenue, and the landlord wants rent. I am calling upon the government to compel these people to resume work immediately,’ he said on Saturday.
Rodah Kimonno, who runs a restaurant along Lira Road, said the abandoned pit had turned into a river, preventing customers from parking and walking to her business, while also breeding mosquitoes.
Community liaison officer for Sadeem Al-Kuwait, Lawrence Munu, said the contractor was still active on other stretches of the road and pledged to return soon.
‘We have received several complaints, but our team was working in another stretch. In the coming days we shall shift there and work on it. We have already started work on some parts,’ he said.
Apac Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Richard Tabaro, apologized to the affected traders, promising to follow up with the contractor.
‘This has also affected us; we cannot access our office easily. I am following up with the contractor so that they can resume work,’ he said.
Traders say the stalled construction threatens the survival of their businesses, highlighting the broader economic impact of incomplete infrastructure projects in the region.