Residents in the suburbs of Yei town are calling on the Central Equatoria state government to rehabilitate old bridges and construct new ones in some of the major feeder roads connecting residential areas to the urban center.
The Wuluturu, Kanjoro, and Dam bridges were destroyed by heavy rains in the past months leaving the residents cut off from the town which is the main market for their agricultural products.
Malish Joseph, a resident of the Wuluturu area said, “The road, especially during heavy rains, is not accessible. Our bridge is broken down and washed away by the water, and people are finding it difficult to move. People using motorcycles and cars cannot access the other side of the area because the bridge is broken and as residents of this area, we are calling on the government to help us by fixing this bridge.”
Medina Charity, another resident of the Hai Dam area, says farmers and sick patients are finding it difficult to access the town square after the Dam Bridge was damaged.
“People are moving and crossing the stream in the water and affecting movement and comfort here. This road is connecting people to the farming communities and people are suffering because there is no bridge. If the government can help fix this bridge it can help us including sick patients to access health services in the town,” Charity lamented.
A resident of the Kanjoro area, Betty Konga, said thousands of residents in the Kanjoro and New Site areas are facing similar challenges.
“The bridge has broken down and the road is also in bad shape and once the rain gets you in the town, you will not cross over. Old women and school-going children are not able to access Yei town because Kanjoro bridge is bad and people are suffering here,” he said.
“We call on the government to construct or install culverts in this Kanjoro stream so that people can move easily,” he added.
For his part, Jura Festo, the assistant commissioner for roads and bridges said his office has received complaints regarding the poor status of the road networks connecting Wuluturu, Kanjoro, and Dam into Yei town.
But, he says, the county department lacks road construction equipment and funds to construct bridges and culverts in the town.
“If you look at the small streams, most of the culverts are damaged and as a government in Yei River County we are trying our best to see that some of these broken bridges are fixed to improve movement,” he said. “We are trying our best together with partners to see that some of the streams are fixed with bridges and culverts to improve access and movement.”