Residents of Wakiso District could soon benefit from improved road maintenance after District Chairperson Eng. Ian Kyeyune pledged to repair grounded road construction equipment to strengthen the district's capacity to rehabilitate roads.
Kyeyune made the commitment during a special inspection of the district's vehicle fleet and road construction equipment conducted together with the office of the Chief Administrative Officer and heads of departments to assess the operational status of the machinery.
During the inspection, District Mechanical Engineer Geoffrey Bugembe informed the team that two graders had become obsolete and were too old to warrant repairs. He said the district was awaiting their disposal after guidance from the Ministry of Works to decommission and deregister the machines.
Bugembe noted that only the Caterpillar road equipment could still be salvaged, warning that repairing the other units would amount to a waste of public resources.
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However, Kyeyune rejected immediate disposal of the equipment and directed that efforts begin with repairing the Caterpillar machine, saying the district urgently needs more equipment to support road maintenance.
"The truth is, we need these machines. We are starting small, but we will reach a new fleet," Kyeyune said.
He added that the district would explore all possible options to restore the equipment.
"We shall sit and assess how to do it. If the district cannot, I will sit with friends and repair these trucks, and everyone will be surprised. I am not in a hurry to dispose of these machines. I am not worried about what people say. I am focused on repairing them," he said.
The district chairperson also commended the Community Development and Production departments for maintaining their vehicles despite their age, describing their efforts as a good example of responsible management of public resources.
He pledged to lobby for new vehicles for the two departments in recognition of their commitment to proper maintenance.
For other departmental vehicles that are in poor condition, Kyeyune directed the Chief Administrative Officer to explore possible repair options to restore them to operation.
He further urged district drivers to handle government vehicles with the same care they would give their personal property, saying proper maintenance is critical to improving service delivery and road infrastructure across Wakiso District.
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