Arua city commended for buying sh1.2b motor grader using local revenue
Magyezi commended the city for prioritising service delivery and urged residents to treat the machine as public property.
The grader was officially launched on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, by local government minister Raphael Magyezi. (Photos by Denis Oringi)
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Arua city has commissioned a new motor grader worth shillings 1.2 billion, fully funded through locally generated revenue.
The grader was officially launched on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, by local government minister Raphael Magyezi.
It is hoped that the development will go a long way in improving the quality of the road infrastructure in the city to spur economic growth in the area.
Magyezi commended the city for prioritising service delivery and urged residents to treat the machine as public property.
He stressed the importance of protecting, maintaining, and using the grader responsibly for the benefit of the entire community.
He also revealed that the Government plans to equip all cities with road machinery to boost access and improve service delivery.
During the 2024/2025 financial year, Arua city collected shillings 6.7 billion in local revenue and is projecting shillings 7.5 billion in the 2025/2026 financial year.
With this acquisition, Arua city joins other cities and municipalities, including Lira, Mbale, Mbarara, Nansana, Makindye and Kira that have procured road equipment using their own funds.
City clerk David Kyasanku described the grader as a milestone, noting that Arua manages a road network of over 550 kilometres.
He explained that the city had previously relied on borrowing graders from Obongi and neighbouring districts, while hiring one cost Shs 1.5 million per day, an unsustainable burden.
“With this grader, we will be able to open up more roads leading to schools, hospitals and markets, which will greatly enhance connectivity and access to services,” Kyasanku said.
Arua city mayor Wadri Sam Nyakua revealed that political leaders sacrificed part of their allowances and the administration cut back on other expenses in order to raise funds for the purchase.