Residents of Nebbi Municipality in Uganda’s West Nile region have threatened to protest over recent design changes on the town’s main street, raising concerns about road safety, aesthetics, and traffic management.
The controversy centers on the replacement of a ‘solid island’ in the middle of the road with a chevron marking, also known as a ghost island. The changes, residents say, were made without consultation.
Saidi Nabil, Municipal Councilor for Hill Ward, said the move has sparked widespread dissatisfaction.
‘It’s true that the design of the road was changed without engaging the residents and ideally, the main street was supposed to have an island in the middle of the main street in Nebbi town to beautify the road. Where will that money go if the solid island is removed?’ Nabil asked on Wednesday.
Businessman Alfred Okecha added that sections of the road have become narrower, creating parking difficulties and potential traffic congestion as the town grows.
The tarmacking of Nebbi Town is part of the 33-kilometre Nebbi-Alwi Road project connecting Nebbi and Pakwach districts, including upgrades to 4.3 kilometres of urban roads.
Eng Justine Lukala of the Ministry of Works and Transport defended the design changes, citing safety concerns.
‘We have realized that a solid island couldn’t be put on the narrowed main street road, which has more traffic, so we have to redesign the road to chevron marking (ghost island) to avoid accidents,’ Lukala said.
He explained that the main street is 19 meters wide instead of the 22 meters standard, meaning a solid island would squeeze the road and increase the risk of accidents, particularly with heavy lorries, buses, and street vendors crowding the area.
‘The island design was brought in as an additional design but was later removed due to the limited space, and if the island is left on the road, it would attract more traffic challenges,’ Lukala added.
Robert Abak, Resident District Commissioner for Nebbi, urged residents to remain calm and channel concerns through proper procedures rather than holding unlawful protests.
‘No design is fixed, but changes can be made both positive and negative. If there are changes, people should go technical to seek guidance to avoid rumors about any government projects,’ Abak said.
The government allocated Shs104 billion under the National Road Development and Maintenance Program (NRDMP) to finance the Alwi-Nebbi Road reconstruction.
Initially contracted in June 2021 with an October 2023 completion, the project was extended by 24 months, with only 5 percent of the work reportedly completed.