Leaders in Butambala District have criticized the Uganda Road Fund over what they describe as inadequate funding for district roads, arguing that the limited resources have severely hindered service delivery.
The concerns were raised by Butambala District Chairperson Rashidah Namboowa and Butambala Woman MP Hajat Aisha Kabanda during an inspection tour of ongoing and completed road works across the district.
The two leaders expressed disappointment over what they termed as persistent underfunding.
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Among the roads inspected were Lugala-Kagyoolo (6 kilometres completed), Namiryango-Segabi (8 kilometres), Kagolombi-Bulungi (12 kilometres), and Bulo-Bugobango (8 kilometres).
According to Namboowa, the district receives approximately Shs183 million per quarter from the Road Fund, which she said can only rehabilitate about six kilometres of road.
"When you look at Butambala District, we have seven sub-counties, including one Town Council. However, the Road Fund allocates us less than Shs200 million. In the first and second quarters combined, we received only Shs183 million. That amount can only work on six kilometres, yet it is meant to cover the entire district," Namboowa said.
She added that even when additional conditional grants amounting to about Shs1 billion are considered, the funds remain insufficient to address the district's road infrastructure needs.
Namboowa further noted that the district lacks essential road construction equipment, including an excavator, forcing authorities to hire machinery from neighboring districts.
"In Butambala, we do not have an excavator. Whenever we need one, we must hire it from another district. The equipment we were given was expected to last five years, but ours is now eight years old," she said.
"We spend a lot of money on repairs, and sometimes we have to take the machinery to regional centers for servicing. This affects our efficiency, yet the public blames us for poor performance," she explained.
She appealed to the central government and relevant authorities to increase road maintenance funding and provide new equipment, particularly an excavator, to improve service delivery.
On her part, Kabanda emphasized the need for community sensitization to protect road infrastructure, noting that some residents contribute to road damage by blocking drainage channels to prevent water from passing through their gardens or homes.
"The funds we receive for roads are already minimal, yet some community members worsen the situation by blocking water channels. There is a need for a deliberate program to educate residents on the importance of protecting road infrastructure," Kabanda said.
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Both Namboowa and Kabanda are serving their final terms in office after failing to secure re-election in the recent polls.
