Young people from Yei River County renovate road following deteriorating condition. | Photo: Aggrey Cyrus

Locals in Yei River County have embarked on self-help to rehabilitate feeder roads linking the area with Juba and Kaya town along the border with Uganda.

The commissioner, Aggrey Cyrus Kanyikwa said they have resorted to the primitive road renovation, after repeated requests to the national government to improve the road did not materialize.

Kanyikwa told Eye Radio the road is almost inaccessible, and the area risks being off from the national capital Juba, and the border town of Kaya.

“Yesterday, we have embarked in manual work, I have directed our county engineers and Payam directors, we have mobilized the community to help us in opening that muddy places so that the standing water can find a way of going away,” said the official.

According to him, the situation has prompted his administration to mobilize the community to fix muddy spots on the roads.

Juba-Yei Road is one of the infrastructure projects to be undertaken as part of the oil for development policy unveiled by the government, two years ago.

In 2020, the government embarked on a road construction project linking Juba to Bor in Jonglei state and Rumbek in Lakes state and other parts of the country.

But the construction but since then, the construction has not started and the road has deteriorated.

However, Commissioner Aggrey said he has also directed the county engineers, Payam administrators to partake in the initiative.

Aggrey is still calling on the national government to intervene.

“So I would want to request and urge the national government to at least meet its obligations by releasing to ARC it’s funding for Juba-Yei, Yei-Kaya roads because it is one of the essential route so that it is feeding South Sudan.”

Now defunct due to poor infrastructures, the Juba-Yei, Yei- Kaya road used to be a vital route used by South Sudan in importing goods from East African countries such as Uganda and Kenya.