Pallisa, Uganda: Pallisa District Woman Member of Parliament Catherine Achola has commended the progress of rehabilitation works on Olok Road in Olok Sub-county, describing the project as a significant step towards improving transport, access to essential services and livelihoods in the area.
Achola made the remarks on Friday during an inspection of the district-funded road project as part of her parliamentary oversight role.
She said the ongoing works had significantly improved the road’s width and quality, adding that the progress reflected value for money. “As a Member of Parliament, it is one of my cardinal roles to carry out oversight to ensure good service delivery to communities, pick concerns from the people, and have them sorted,” Achola said.
The woman legislator noted that the poor condition of the road had for years made transport expensive, limiting residents’ access to healthcare, markets and other essential services.
According to Achola, motorcycle taxi operators were forced to increase fares because of the deteriorated road and rising fuel prices.
“From Olok to Pallisa, where people access health services, merchandise and supplies, the fare used to be Shs3,000. Because of the state of the road, it doubled to Shs6,000, which is high for a rural person without sustainable income. Now that the road is nearly complete, the fare is most likely going to reduce,” she said.
Boda Boda Riders Welcome Road Upgrade
Denis Arikod, Chairperson of Boda Boda Operators at Agule Stage in Pallisa Town, said transport operators had been compelled to increase fares due to high vehicle maintenance costs caused by the poor road.
“We don’t want to increase transport rates, but the cost of fuel and the poor quality of the road cause high wear and tear. We replace brake pads weekly because of this road,” Arikod said.
He compared the route to the Pallisa–Tirinyi road, noting that despite the longer distance, passengers pay lower fares because it is tarmacked.
“The fare from Pallisa to Tirinyi, a distance of 25 kilometres on tarmac, is Shs3,000. Yet Olok, which is only eight kilometres away, charges passengers Shs7,000. It is our happiness when the road is good because it reduces accident risks,” he added.
Hon Achola appealed to residents to safeguard the rehabilitated road by avoiding activities that could damage its surface or drainage system. She warned against ploughing too close to the road and blocking drainage channels, saying such practices accelerate erosion and shorten the lifespan of road infrastructure.
The legislator also urged District Engineer Michael Ongwara to consider extending the road to the lakeshore to improve access for communities in Rarak.
Beyond infrastructure, Achola raised concern over the high school dropout rate in Pallisa District, describing the trend as worrying.
“As a teacher, I get internal pain whenever I hear negative reports about education. Pallisa is one of the districts with the highest rate of school dropouts. Less than 10 percent of pupils who enrol in Primary One complete the primary education cycle,” she said.
She urged parents to prioritise education and ensure children regularly attend school, noting that absenteeism continues to undermine academic performance and syllabus coverage.
Meanwhile, James Peter Ekanya, the Akisim County Coordinator for Team Achola, appealed to residents to give newly elected leaders time to implement their programmes. “People have high expectations from Members of Parliament, but they should allow them to implement their programmes without too much pressure,” he said.
District leaders said improving rural road infrastructure remains critical to boosting trade, lowering transport costs and enhancing access to education, healthcare and agricultural markets across Pallisa District.
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