Traffic along the busy Karuma-Kamdini highway, a crucial trade route connecting central Uganda to the north, has been severely disrupted after a section of the road near the Karuma-Olwiyo/Pakwach junction collapsed due to heavy rains.
The damage, which engineers have attributed to embankment failure caused by flooding, has forced authorities to close part of the highway and divert heavy trucks and trailers to alternative routes.
To manage the flow of traffic, the Ministry of Works and Transport has established a diversion route for heavy vehicles. Truck drivers are now advised to branch off at the Karuma-Pakwach junction (URA checkpoint), drive about 51 kilometres to Olwiyo Trading Centre, then turn right to connect through Anaka before continuing to Gulu. This new route adds roughly 62 kilometres to their journey.
The diversion now increases the total travel distance between Karuma-Pakwach junction and Gulu City by 42 kilometres, compared to the normal 71-kilometre drive through Corner Kamdini.
As a result, transporters are incurring higher fuel costs. As of November 3, 2025, a litre of diesel was retailing at Shs4,700 in Lira City. For a bus traveling from Gulu-Karuma-Kampala via Olwiyo, the additional 42 kilometres requires about 15 extra litres of fuel, translating to an extra Shs70,500 per trip.
Mr Bernard Nyeko Matsanga, spokesperson for the Northern Uganda Drivers’ Union, said the diversions are likely to force operators to raise transport fares.
‘Buses may decide to increase the fare to enable them to add fuel to cover the increased distance that the diversion has introduced,’ he said, appealing for an urgent government intervention.
Light vehicles have been cautioned to drive carefully, reduce speed, and obey traffic officers managing the single operational lane.
Mr James Shilaku, the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Oyam, said district leaders have already alerted the Ministry of Works and Transport about the damage and requested immediate repairs.
‘We are also deploying the police to control traffic flow,’ he said. ‘Their mandate will be to lower the speed because this is a highway so that vehicles don’t fall into the ditch, and also ensure the other side does not collapse.’
The Ministry of Works confirmed that movement of heavy trucks and trailers along the Karuma-Kamdini section has been temporarily suspended to prevent further deterioration of the road.
‘The affected section has been hoarded off, and traffic is being managed on one lane,’ the ministry said in a statement. ‘Restoration works are being mobilised to reinstate the section as soon as possible.’
The Karuma-Kamdini highway remains one of northern Uganda’s busiest trade routes, linking Kampala to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The disruption has therefore raised concern among traders and transporters over possible delays and increased operating costs.