Local government leaders in Northern Uganda are urging the government, through the Ministry of Works and Transport, to revise the guidelines on road maintenance grants to include dedicated funds for rehabilitation.
They made this appeal during a two-day regional consultative Budget Conference in Lira City, organised by the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development.
The conference brought together local leaders from Gulu City, Kiryandongo, Kalaki, Kaberamaido, Amolatar, Kwania, Kumi, and other districts.
Currently, the district road maintenance grant is managed by the Uganda Road Fund. During the Budget Consultative meeting for the FY 2025/2026, leaders expressed concerns about the poor state of the road network and proposed an additional Shs1 billion each year for road rehabilitation, on top of the existing Shs1 billion for maintenance. They believe this would enable districts to repair damaged culverts and bridges affected by floods.
Mr James Oling, Senior Physical Planner for Kwania, emphasised that the existing Shs1 billion for road maintenance is insufficient. “There are situations where certain road sections are beyond maintenance and require rehabilitation,” he noted. “We should rename it a road rehabilitation and maintenance grant to address both needs effectively.”
