District engineers told to fully document all infrastructure works

_________________

The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Ben Kumumanya, has directed local government engineers to comprehensively document all infrastructure works under their respective jurisdictions.

Kumumanya said the documentation should include a complete inventory of all roads, clearly indicating the parishes served in alignment with the Parish Development Model (PDM) and their corresponding sub-counties.

He urged engineers to work closely with district and city resident commissioners to strengthen transparency and accountability in the execution of public works.

Ben Kumumanya (Centre seated), the permanent secretary of the ministry of local government and local government officials pose for a photo after the meeting. (Photo by John Odyek)

Kumumanya also encouraged engineers serving in acting positions to apply for the twenty-two vacancies for local government engineers currently advertised across various local governments.

He made the remarks on November 21, 2025, while addressing district, city, and municipal engineers at a meeting held at Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala.

During the 2023 to 2024 financial year, the government allocated one billion shillings to each of the 135 districts, ten cities, and thirty-one municipalities for the maintenance of district, urban, and community access roads (DUCAR).

This marked an increase from previous allocations, following a directive by President Yoweri Museveni that funding could be scaled up where needs were greater.

Despite the increased allocations, some local governments have reported delays in the release and utilisation of funds, citing unclear implementation guidelines. Several beneficiaries, including those facing challenges such as damaged bridges, have indicated plans to use part of the funds for bridge repair and construction.

Separately, the Ministry of Works and Transport last year distributed road construction machinery to sixteen newly created districts to support the maintenance of their road networks. The ministry also plans to introduce direct road maintenance funding for town councils.