By Mike Rwothomio 

West Nile: Hundreds of Zombo locals have petitioned security agencies to give them security while holding a peaceful demonstration about the sorry state of roads and footbridges in different parts of the District.

With the theme dubbed ‘Zombo roads also matter’, the initiative that will involve residents from all over the district is to reawaken the government about unfulfilled repeated promises including working on the roads and other projects.

Sam Rwothomio, one of the mobilizers and a concerned citizen is moving to various offices to distribute their letter of notification.

Rwothomoi says roads have become household discussions amongst locals because it’s currently slippery,  muddy and impassable coupled with the pounding rain the place is experiencing.
“We have taken letters to all the offices. The RDC, LCV, and LC3s have all received their copies,” he said.

Asked how they plan to hold this peaceful demonstration, he assured this reporter that;
“We shall move in a group of three, one group will start from Warr, Others from Paidha and some from Zeu”

He added that the march would end in Zombo Town Council with speeches from Various leaders including some councillors, the area Resident District Commissioner and the LCV chairperson amongst others.

He said their motive is to hold peaceful demonstrations and warn participants against disrupting the event through chaos.
“If it happens, it will be the first time in history for a peaceful demonstration of that sort to take place in the district.”

The team has earmarked October 25, 2023, as the date for this would be a historical event.

Francis Bolingo, the District councillor of Athuma Su-county who subscribes to the Opposition Alliance for National Transformation Party said all hands should be on the deck to remind the government about what the people of Zombo need.

He added that the event should be peaceful saying it’s aimed at passing out a key message to the government.

The mobilizers say no one is funding them and it’s a passion-driven move by all the right-thinking people of Zombo.

Hiccups

Some of the mobilizers this publication talked to say many people are trying to discourage from holding a peaceful demonstration

Sam Rwothomio, one of the youths championing the campaign against the sorry state of roads in Zombo said being branded as a rebel.
“I am being branded as a rebel because of mobilizing people for this peaceful demonstration and plans are on the way to arrest me, am here in Paidha. Whoever wants to meet me, tomorrow I will be at Zombo District Headquarters. Let’s meet there,” he says.

“This is an activity that is allowed by the constitution of Uganda. Nobody should be a coward, it’s time we as the people of Zombo unite, am not intimidated by the threats but only one mission,” he added.

No political party involved

Rwothomio added that the peaceful demonstration plan is not politically motivated and no one shall be allowed to carry any political party T’ shirts or symbols.

Why Now?

According to the organisers,  promises over promises have been made by all sorts of leaders about especially the 119 kilometres of the most pressing road the Nebbi, Paidha, Zombo, Zeu, Warr  Vurra Road but the word is ” we shall work on the road”.

Many people who turned up in big numbers to specifically listen to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Last year in Atyak Sub_County Zombo District went back in total frustration after the President said the road would be worked upon soon without specifying when.

The National Resistant Movement Government since 1996 have been having a softer landing in Zombo in terms of votes. This was evident when the state minister in charge of privatisation Evalyne Anite presented a trophy to the leadership of Zombo in May this year, for their massive and overwhelming support for the NRM Party in the 2021 general election when President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni visited West Nile Sub-region. The trophy elicited a torrent of scathing criticisms from the majority of the people of Zombo who said the reward should be converted to service delivery.

What are the leaders saying?

For close to a month now, robust campaign and mobilization about the October 25th peaceful demonstration has been ongoing but no leader has come out to either support or condemn the idea.

The security is also tight-lipped.

One of the senior politicians who preferred not to be named said he is a staunch NRM Party supporter but the issue of the sorry state of Zombo roads deserves a peaceful demonstration.
“You know how our roads are, if is not because of anything, I will be in the forefront but I can’t do that now,” he told this Publication.

Many politicians this Publication talked to are caught up between the hard place and the rock. Some feel if they don’t show up, their political career will go down the drain as 2026 is approaching but at the same time, many are fearing reprisal from the government and the party they subscribe to.

The practice of demonstration in Uganda be it peaceful or not on several occasions has been thwarted by law enforcers without fear or favor.

This is the first time that Zombo people are going to show their grievances through peaceful demonstration, it’s unclear whether the march will go un-disrupted.

T-shirts with the logo “Zombo Road Also Matters” are being printed and many people in Zombo are ordering for them.

For ages, people have been bearing the brunt of the sorry state of roads in Nebbi and Zombo that is along the Uganda-DR Congo border.