KAMPALA – Parliament of Uganda has directed that the Road Rehabilitation Development Grant be managed by the Uganda Road Fund, 2008, under the auspices of district roads committees.
The directives were issued by the Speaker, Anita Among, on Thursday, 27 July 2023, following a debate on a report by the Committee on Physical Infrastructure regarding implementation guidelines to manage the funds.
The government has allocated shs1 billion for each district, 10 cities, and 31 municipalities with the aim of improving the condition of district, urban, and community roads. This allocation is intended to enhance rural accessibility and improve working environments in urban areas.
The Speaker emphasized that the respective administrative units must ensure prudent and accountable utilization of the disbursed funds in line with the guidelines of the Road Fund. To achieve this, she directed all districts, cities, and municipalities to immediately hold statutory meetings, as provided for under the Uganda Road Fund Act, 2008, in order to prioritize and devise work plans.
The work plans for each district, city, and municipality must be duly approved by the respective roads committees, and the same accountability standards will apply to accountability reports.
While presenting the committee report, Deputy Chairperson Hon. Tony Awany highlighted that the guidelines for the grant did not offer clarity on the role of district road committees in the implementation process. The committee recommended that the role of district road committees should be clearly defined from the planning stage, approvals, and throughout the implementation process.
Hon. John Faith Magolo, Member of Parliament for Bungokho County North, endorsed the recommendation for the grant to be managed at the district level. He pointed out that districts with mountainous areas face unique challenges in road maintenance due to the terrain, and local committees are better equipped to address these needs.
Hon. Tonny Ayoo, Kwania County Member of Parliament, emphasized that the district roads committees should guide the utilization of the shs1 billion. He called for the amendment of the Road Fund Act to ensure clear implementation guidelines and avoid confusion caused by differing opinions from the Ministry of Works.
Hon. Shamim Malende, Kampala District Woman Representative, expressed concerns that funds released in the first quarter, worth shs250 million, were not used for their intended purpose. She supported the decision to have the funds directly managed at the district level to ensure proper utilization.
The State Minister for Finance, Hon. Henry Musasizi, assured that the grant funding will be sent directly to the districts without involving any other channel.
Mukono Municipality MP, Hon. Betty Nambooze, raised concerns about district roads committees planning for municipal funds, even though the grant already separately caters to these administrative units. She attributed this issue to the lack of roads committees at the municipal level.
The Minister for Local Government, Hon. Raphael Magyezi, clarified that the district roads committees will harmonize plans for the funds, while each municipality keeps its share for road works.
