National Parliament | Photo by Obaj Okuj | 04-06-2024

A member of parliament has urged the government to repair the deteriorating Juba–Lainya–Yei–Kaya Road and called on the national parliament to summon the Minister of Roads and Bridges to explain the delay.

Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, Dusman Joyce James Lesuk, the MP representing Lainya County, described the road as “bad and difficult.”

She said the highway, which connects South Sudan’s capital to Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo through Yei and Kaya, has been neglected despite repeated appeals for maintenance.

Joyce said the state ministry informed them that the road is classified as a national road, but the national ministry has not taken any action.

She pointed out that the section between mile 55 and mile 59 in Lainya County is in very poor condition.

“My concern is about the Juba–Lainya–Yei–Kaya Road. This road is in a very poor condition, and we do not understand why, year after year, no one attends to it. If you travel between mile 55 and mile 59 in Lainya, you will see that the road is in a dire state. We have raised this issue several times, but there has been no response. When we approached the state authorities, they told us the road is classified as a national road,” she said.

“So, we really need to know why this road continues to be neglected. We see the Ministry of Roads and Bridges working on other routes, but this one is always left out. I want the Minister to appear before this House and explain why he has not visited the area to see the situation for himself,” she added.

The Juba–Lainya–Yei–Kaya Road is one of the country’s main transport routes. It links Juba with Lainya, Yei, and the border town of Kaya.

The road is vital for trade, humanitarian access, and the movement of people between South Sudan and its southern neighbours.

Before years of conflict and neglect, it was a busy trade route used to transport goods, farm produce, and fuel between Uganda and South Sudan, supporting the livelihoods of communities along the way.