The Lira City Mayor has asked the community to endure and give them enough time to handle the process.
By Acipa Doreen
Lira – March 8, 2022: A total of 112 solar street lights in Lira City have broken down. A lot of fear and anxiety among the residents are high following the breakdown.
The 112 solar street lights are part of the 229 lights that were installed under the World Bank-funded programme, the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID).
Under USMID, several roads have been constructed in Lira City.
TND News understands that out of the 112 affected solar street lights, 66 are single-arms and 18 double-arms, respectively.
Freddie Owiny, the Lira City Engineer said that after the installation of the street lights, the City authorities took over the responsibility of maintaining them.
He said the City council has earmarked about shs 400 million to have all the broken lamps repaired. Other support, he said, will come from the Uganda Road Fund.
Denis Opio who operates a bar along Oyite Ojok Lane said his business is down because customers who used to drink at his bar, most of them have shifted elsewhere because of the dark street caused by broken street lights.
Meanwhile, Francis Ogema Awany, the coordinator of Uganda Chambers of Commerce and Industry Lira branch, blamed the technical staff of the then Lira Municipal Council for negligence.
He added: “When the construction firms which were given the contract for constructing roads under the World Bank-funded Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) were installing those solar street lights, the technical staff of Lira municipal council and the consultant did not inspect to find out the specification of those street components.”
Sam Atul, the Lira City Council Mayor said there is already an ongoing process of repairing the street lights. “I can’t commit on the exact day or date,” he said.
Atul said that the street lights were installed before he became the City Mayor.
The Mayor has asked the community to endure and give them enough time to handle the process.
Morish Chris Ongom, president of Lira City Development Forum told TND News that most of the street lights were vandalised by the community.
Most of these installations, he said, require regular services, requesting the community to help and identify the groups behind vandalism for appropriate actions.
“Each citizen in the city must ensure that we protect our city,” he concluded.
The most affected roads are Oyam, Oyite Ojok Lane, Maruzi, Imat Miria and Obote Avenue.
Discover more from tndNews, Uganda
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.