Hundreds of passengers were left stranded on Tuesday evening along the flooded Adjumani-Sinyanya road after vehicles failed to access the Sinyanya ferry landing site due to two trucks stuck in a submerged section of the road.

The Obongi ferry serves as a critical link for travelers between Adjumani, Obongi, and other West Nile districts, as well as neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan via the River Nile.

Residents have repeatedly urged the government to address the recurring flooding caused by the Itirikwa stream bursting its banks, which annually cuts off this vital road.

However, officials from the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) stated that fixing the issue would require billions of shillings, resources that are currently unavailable.

Frustrated trader Rose Mandera criticised the government and local leaders for neglecting the region's poor road network.

"As a taxpayer, I am disappointed with this kind of inconvenience. How can we fail to move freely on our roads? I blame this government for neglecting critical challenges like our poor road network," Mandera lamented.

Obongi Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Samuel Mpimbaza Hashaka accused the contractor responsible for constructing the road at the Sinyanya landing site of shoddy work.

"My office has detected shoddy work and poor workmanship by the contractor. I have notified the Inspector General of Government to initiate investigations so that the contractor is held accountable," Mpimbaza said.

Former Obongi County MP Hassan Kaps Fungaroo alleged that the government has deliberately neglected the Ma'di sub-region.

"A caring government should provide basic services to its citizens. What we are witnessing in the Ma'di sub-region is contrary to what is expected," Fungaroo said, urging voters to elect leaders who can amplify their concerns in future elections.