The works and transport sector has been allocated a total of sh4 trillion in the national budget for the next financial year, which will be read on June 14. According to the budget that Parliament passed last week, the total Uganda Road Fund budget for the 2023/24 financial year stands at sh401.2b.

This is the money that will be used for repairing and maintaining roads that are in a poor state in various parts of the country. The Uganda National Roads Authority, which usually takes the bulk of the budget for the sector, has been allocated sh2.47 trillion, which includes sh2.36 trillion for development works and sh108.5b for recurrent expenditures.

The Ministry of Works and Transport has been allocated sh1 trillion for development expenditures and sh192.5b for recurrent expenditures. From the above figures, it is clear that whereas sector leaders have been pushing for more funding, the budget for the sector has been cut by sh600b.

In the initial draft budget (Budget Framework Paper) which Parliament scrutinised in January, the works and transport sector budget had been allocated sh4.6 trillion which at that time was higher than the sector’s allocation for the current financial by sh355.8b. The sector was in the current financial year allocated sh4.24 trillion.

The vice-chairperson of the committee, Robert Kasolo, said: “We are concerned about road safety because the accidents are so many. Serious measures need to be undertaken to stop reduce road accidents.”

Legislators, including the Speaker of Parliament, are concerned that given the poor state of the roads in the country, the sector remains underfunded.

Legislators are concerned that even with the poor state of roads, the sector remains underfunded

Speaker of Parliament Anita Among joined the chorus of those condemning the poor state of roads in the country.

Steering deliberations on Tuesday last week, Among said emphasis must be placed on revamping the country’s road transport infrastructure, which has been badly devastated by torrential rains.

“You have been seeing on social media and everywhere what is happening, roads are cut off, Katonga is cutoff. You cannot go to Masaka using the direct route. The communities are cut off, they cannot travel. Yesterday, my deputy (Thomas Tayebwa) went to Bushenyi, he had to use the longest route, an additional 182km. It is terrible. As we do the budget this time, we must consider the issue of the roads. The roads must be worked on,” she said.

The Speaker emphasised the need for government to consider the roads in bad state, adding: “As leaders, we should walk the talk. We may not have the money, but we must budget for it. Where it will come from will be government’s responsibility.”

Dr Abed Bwanika (Kimaanya- Kabonera) told Parliament that the unprecedented rainfall levels have significantly affected the livelihoods of residents of the greater Masaka area, which comprises of Bukomansimbi, Butambala, Gomba, Kalungu, Kyotera, Lwengo, Lyantonde, Masaka, Mpigi, Rakai and Ssembabule, among others.

“The route to Masaka is a connection to four nations that do trade with this country. That route connects Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda and DR Congo. Right now, we are cut off,” Bwanika said.

Kalungu East MP Francis Katabazi said: “We are on an island at the moment because so many people who sell fish and all these other things have been affected significantly. And we are not seeing anything being done, yet even Lwera has sunk on the other side. This would have been worse if lots of lives were involved, so I think God is warning us, but we are not listening. We have an alternative route now, which only needs to be fixed, it is 48km from Villa-Maria to Kabulasoke. If the route to Sembabule gets cut off, we shall have nowhere to pass.”

Bukomansimbi South MP Solo Kayemba, however, attributed the collapse of infrastructure, including Katonga bridge, to shoddy work.

“That bridge was rehabilitated in 2018. As we speak now it has been washed away. That is the same reason with roads in Kampala. Recently, potholes were filled with soil and when rain came, it washed away the soils and now we have new potholes,” Kayemba noted.

Reports presented to Parliament recently during the budgeting process indicate the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) is grappling with outstanding debts amounting to sh595b for contractors it is yet to pay, arising from underfunding and budget cuts for the agency.

The chairperson of the physical infrastructure committee, David Karubanga (Kigorobya County), told Parliament that following the entity’s failure to pay contractors on a daily basis, it is incurring sh227m daily interest.

The Parliament infrastructure committee vice-chairperson, Robert Kasolo (Iki-Iki county), said: “During the interaction with UNRA, we got information that due to government’s failure to clear debts in time, the entity (UNRA) will not embark on taking up new road construction projects, until the sh595b arrears are cleared.”

While interacting with the committee recently, the Minister for Works and Transport, Gen. Katumba Wamala, said due to limited funding, they would prioritise ongoing road construction projects and clearing debts in the next financial year. The minister implored Parliament and the finance ministry to ensure the budget for road maintenance is significantly increased.

Compiled by Paul Kiwuuwa, Dedan Kimathi and Henry Ssekanjako