MINISTER FOR NORTHERN UGANDA COMMISSIONS DINU PROJECTS IN ADJUMANI.

By Bazio Doreen.

 The State Minister for Northern Uganda, Hon. Grace Freedom Kwiyucwiny, has urged the Ministry of Local Government and United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) to hand over assets for Development Initiative for Northern Uganda (DINU) project to the District Leadership ahead of the project closure later this month. This she observed would enable the district effortlessly maintain the roads commissioned and sustain milestones of the local revenue collection system of Integrated Revenue Administration System. She made the remarks while commissioning DINU sub projects on 5th September 2023, in Pachara Sub County where the ceremony was held.

She was responding to comments made by the District Chairman, Hon. Anyama Ben, who had earlier observed that the DINU roads have improved road connectivity and trade between Adjumani, other districts in West Nile as well as the neighboring South Sudan and therefore the urgent need to maintain them. The District Chairman also tasked Minister Kwiyucwiny, to present in Cabinet the cries of the people of Adjumani over the delays to find a decisive solution to the Apaa Land Conflict. Hon. Anyama also thanked European Union and United Nations – the project donors and rallied them to also consider constructing a bridge over River Nile at Laropi.

The Resident District Commissioner – Adjumani, Mr. Taban Data Peter, also emphasized that the European Union by Funding and selecting STRABAG, the contractor undertaking the Atiak-Omi road; they had done a noble job towards the people of Adjumani as the company is doing great work and set a standard of how roads in Adjumani should be constructed.

Meanwhile, the Minister, suggested that a meeting be convened by the Ministry of Local Government, European Union, and UNCDF with the top leaders from all the districts implementing DINU to discuss sustainability plans and special requests from the different project areas.

The Development Initiative for Northern Uganda (DINU) is a Government of Uganda programme supported by the European Union (EU) and supervised by Office of the Prime Minister (OPM). DINU is a multi-sectoral programme aimed at improving livelihoods in 41 districts in the five sub-regions of Acholi, Karamoja, Lango, Teso and West Nile for a duration of six years (2017-2023).The programme supports interventions in three specific interlinked sectors: (1) Food Security, Nutrition and Livelihoods (2) Infrastructures (transport, logistics, water, energy) and (3) Good Governance.

In Adjumani, the district leadership prioritized implementation of 11.9km roads of which 88.6km are district roads and 31.38km are community access roads. The following roads were consequently rehabilitated: Ajugopi – Miniki (3.463km), Ajugopi – Nyeu (26.376km), Eleukwe – Ajujo (7.9km), Unna – Miniki (13.21km), Pachara – Ogujebe (11.24km), Kureku Biira via Fuda (9.014km), Ofua TC – Pakwinya (8.45km), Mungula Juction – Zoka (13.4km), Ayiri – Maasa (5.668km), Magburu P/S – Kobo Landing Site, Loa – Liri Loop (11.88km). The target beneficiaries were 477, 787. Of these, nationals are 240,000 and refugees are 237,787.

END.