Museveni Pledges to Tarmac Nebbi–Zombo–Vura Road in Two Phases

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By ALEX PITHUA

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has pledged to tarmac the 118-kilometre Nebbi–Zombo–Zeu–Warr–Vura road in two phases, starting in April 2026.

The President made the commitment while addressing a campaign rally at Zombo Upper Primary School on October 11, 2025, where he was accompanied by the First Lady, Janet Kataaha Museveni, and senior NRM officials, including the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa, the party’s Secretary General Richard Todwong, and National Vice Chairperson Denis Hamson Obua, among others.

Initially, President Museveni had told the gathering that the government planned to tarmac only a 16-kilometre stretch of the road from Nebbi Municipality to the Goli One Stop Border Point, a key trade link to the Democratic Republic of Congo, while the remaining sections would be upgraded with first-class murram.

However, after sensing dissatisfaction from the crowd, the President quickly revised his statement, announcing that the entire 118-kilometre Nebbi–Vura road would be tarmacked in two phases, with the contract signing scheduled for April 26, 2026.

“In April 2026, the government will sign a contract to tarmac the entire 118 kilometres of the Nebbi–Vura road in two phases,” Museveni declared, drawing loud applause from the crowd.

Residents of Zombo District have long decried the poor state of the road, which they say has frustrated the movement of goods and services, undermined trade, and affected security along the Uganda–DR Congo border. The route serves as an important economic corridor and border control link with the volatile North Eastern Congo, where insecurity and smuggling are frequent due to porous crossing points.

Zombo leaders, both cultural and religious, have persistently pushed for the road’s tarmacking as their top development priority.

During prayers to launch the campaign rally, Rev. Father Walter, the parish priest of Zombo Catholic Church, appealed to the President to consider the plight of residents who struggle daily due to the poor road network, especially during the rainy season.

“We pray that this road is tarmacked soon to ease the suffering of our people,” Father Walter said.

The demand for upgrading the road intensified in September 2025 after the State Minister for Finance, Henry Musaazi, tabled a proposal in Parliament seeking a loan to fund road projects. The Ministry proposed borrowing USD 20 million to upgrade only 16 kilometres of the Nebbi–Jukia–Goli road, a decision that sparked outrage among legislators from Greater Nebbi and angered residents who accused the government of sidelining Zombo District.

The move triggered widespread backlash on social media platforms such as WhatsApp, with residents expressing fears that the government was deliberately neglecting their area. Local radio stations were flooded with callers demanding an explanation and questioning the government’s commitment to equitable development.

Former State Minister for Energy Simon D’Ujanga, a native of the area, told this reporter that the government had repeatedly failed to honour its commitments despite previous budget allocations.

“A feasibility study and final engineering design for this road were completed over five years ago, but implementation has remained elusive,” D’Ujanga noted.

The Alur King, Phillip Rauni Olarker III, also weighed in on the matter during his 13th coronation anniversary in Parombo Town Council, Nebbi District, urging the government to finally fulfil its pledge to tarmac the entire stretch.

Responding to the concerns, NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong appealed for patience, assuring residents that the government was in the process of mobilizing funds to complete the 119-kilometre project.

“The government is committed to upgrading this road. What remains is mobilizing adequate resources, and once that is done, the project will commence,” Todwong told this publication during a side interview at Zombo Upper Primary School grounds.