Yei Residents Demand Urgent Road Repairs

(Yei) – Residents of Yei town in South Sudan are urging the county government to urgently repair and upgrade roads in the town center and nearby residential areas, saying the worsening conditions are making daily life difficult, especially during the rainy season.

Several residents told Access Radio that roads throughout the town are in poor shape, filled with potholes and prone to flooding, making movement challenging for pedestrians and motorists alike.

Mary Nyoka, a mother of five and resident of Gabat neighborhood, explained how the poor road conditions are affecting women and children. “If you come to my area, especially around Hai Nyakama Road, you will see a lot of potholes. The county or state government should fix this so that mothers and children can move easily without trouble,” she said.

In Jigomoni, Arkanjelo Taban shared similar concerns. “When it rains, movement becomes frustrating, even within the town along major roads like in Jigomoni,” he said. He urged the government to begin by rehabilitating major roads to allow easier access to both residential neighborhoods and the town center.

Arike Edimon, a boda-boda rider, painted a broader picture of the problem. “If you ride through town and into areas like Sobe, Lomuku, Hai Leben, Mission, Nyakama, Hai Tacha, and Dark el Salam, you’ll find that nearly all the roads are in bad shape,” he said. Arike appealed to both the local government and development partners to jointly fix the roads across the town.

Rose Monday, a secondary school student, explained how bad roads are affecting students. “In Yei town, we walk to school and back. When it rains, we have trouble finding a place to walk, and our shoes and uniforms get dirty every day. This makes learning harder. I hope our government hears our concerns,” she said.

Richard Lugala Godo, Director for Roads and Physical Infrastructure in Yei County, acknowledged the problem. He said the local government lacks both construction equipment and financial resources to improve roads within the town and its outskirts.

Lugala explained that the county is currently prioritizing the repair of major bridges that connect people to agricultural areas, health facilities, and other key services. He added that his office plans to prepare a report on the poor condition of roads and submit it to the County Commissioner and other relevant state and national institutions.

He did not mention specific funding amounts, but any major road rehabilitation would likely require significant investment.

Local observers say the government should prepare a detailed road development plan and share it with national and international partners, including the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), and construction companies operating in Yei. They argue that such partners could contribute to road rehabilitation as part of their corporate social responsibility to the community.