A Juba-based political analyst, James Boboya, has raised alarm over what he described as the “appalling” state of South Sudan’s roads, warning that continued neglect could worsen poverty and cripple economic growth.
He faulted the government and the road construction firm, African Resources Corporation (ARC) Limited, for massive corruption and mismanagement of public funds meant for roads.
In August, the High Court in Lakes State, sitting in Rumbek, ordered ARC, a construction company owned by Vice President Benjamin Bol Mel, to pay $8 million to villagers in Rumbek East County who were affected by devastating floods after shoddy road works by the company. The final order said ARC was responsible for the flooding that affected 459 households south of the main road from Pool-kuch-Atiaba Payam of Rumbek East County.
“The state of roads in South Sudan, including Juba, is appalling. Just two years ago, we saw a shift when ARC became a monopoly in road construction,” Boboya said. “Too much of the public funds were squandered in the name of roads. Close to $5 billion has already been spent on roads that do not exist.”
He cited the Juba–Nimule highway, a critical trade route linking Juba to Uganda and the East African market, as one of the worst affected.
“This road is the lifeline for Juba; without it, you would not see Juba as it is today, but the condition has deteriorated significantly, and nobody from the government is willing to talk about it,” Boboya charged.
The analyst called on President Salva Kiir to initiate a national conversation on infrastructure development, arguing that better road networks are essential for economic recovery and national unity.
“If the government loves this country, it must prioritise roads. Better roads reduce transportation costs, attract investors, and connect communities,” he urged. “Even peacebuilding depends on it by tarmacking roads, the government is reconciling communities.”
Boboya also criticised the government’s ‘Oil for Roads Initiative’, which was launched in 2018, saying “it went dead because of too much corruption by the government, ARC, and the Chinese.”
“A recent UN report revealed ARC pocketed $1.7 billion of taxpayers’ money, and this is the blood of the people of South Sudan,” Boboya stated.
He further said that poor infrastructure has far-reaching consequences because farmers cannot take their produce to markets.
“Farmers in Yei and Magwi produce cassava, onions, and tomatoes, but they can’t bring them to Juba. The food rots because vehicles get stuck,” he noted. “In Wau and Aweil, watermelons can’t reach the capital. The cost of transport is like hiring a vehicle from Nairobi.”
He warned that without urgent action, poverty, which he said has risen from 48% to 92%, will continue to climb.
“The suffering of South Sudanese today is even worse than during the war,” Boboya lamented. “If the government truly values independence, it must stop the looting and put money into service delivery. The first service delivery is fixing the roads.”