The Ministry of Works and Transport (MoWT), World Bank and Koboko–Yumbe–Moyo Road Corridor Project team engaged district leaders and Grievance Management Committee (GMC) representatives from Koboko, Yumbe and Moyo districts, alongside development partners, to strengthen Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response in communities along the road corridor.
The project team and World Bank representatives engage with Gender Management Committees (GMCs) at the Yumbe District offices on gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response under the Koboko–Yumbe–Moyo Road Project.
Participating partners included the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA).
The engagements took place from 12 to 15 October 2026 at the respective district offices in Koboko, Yumbe and Moyo during the World Bank Implementation Support Mission.
The discussions focused on community grievance-handling mechanisms and the prevention and response to GBV, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA), Sexual Harassment (SH) and violence against children, including reporting and referral of concerns to appropriate service providers.
Presentations by Nakasango Mariam from OPM, Winfred Mandeku, Protection Officer – GBV at DRC, and Roy Alioni from UNHCR highlighted protection challenges in refugee-hosting communities.
These included risks associated with road construction and poverty, limited resources, gaps in referral pathways, and fear and stigma that discourage reporting. The presentations emphasised stronger coordination among government agencies, humanitarian partners and community structures, alongside safe and confidential reporting channels, timely referrals and adequate resources to sustain protection services for refugee and host communities.
District representatives responsible for community development and GBV prevention and response also made presentations, highlighting local protection challenges and the role of district structures in community awareness, reporting and referral of GBV cases. District leaders and GMC representatives participated in discussions on community grievance-handling mechanisms and the importance of linking survivors to appropriate support services.
Michael Mahat, the World Bank’s Senior Social Development Specialist, emphasised that a zero-tolerance approach to GBV requires accountability and appropriate action when incidents occur. He noted that while road development brings important benefits, construction activities can also create social risks that must be identified and managed by the government, contractors and other implementing parties.
Ivan Mwondah, the World Bank Task Team Leader, highlighted the importance of collaboration among government institutions, development partners, communities and the project team in strengthening GBV prevention and response and ensuring that support mechanisms remain effective beyond the project’s completion.
Maurice Olupot, the Project Consultant responsible for GBV and related safeguards, underscored the need for continuous risk assessment, community sensitisation and coordination among the contractor, resident engineer and service providers. He also highlighted existing project grievance-reporting structures, including school-based arrangements.
The project’s Contract Manager, Eng. Alex Otim, emphasised cooperation among district leaders, GMCs and communities in addressing project-related concerns and implementing social safeguards.
Key areas for strengthening GBV prevention and response included improving awareness of reporting channels, strengthening grievance-handling and referral mechanisms, sensitising communities and workers, reinforcing accountability and improving coordination among project stakeholders and service providers.
The 103.08-kilometre Koboko–Yumbe–Moyo Road Corridor Project is being implemented by the Government of Uganda through MoWT with funding from the World Bank. The project aims to improve connectivity, access to essential services and economic opportunities while ensuring that potential social risks are identified and managed.
The engagements form part of ongoing efforts to ensure that road infrastructure development benefits communities while protecting vulnerable people from violence, exploitation and abuse.