KUMI — A shortage of road construction equipment is threatening the implementation of road projects in Kumi Municipality, with local authorities warning that inadequate machinery, rising fuel prices and taxes are eroding the value of the Shs1 billion allocated for road maintenance.
The municipality lacks essential equipment, including graders, excavators, dump trucks, rollers and water bowsers, forcing it to rely on machinery from Kumi District or hire equipment from private operators at high costs.
Eng. Henry Mateega, the Principal Executive Engineer for Kumi Municipality, said the municipality had gravelled 15km of the 21km planned for the 2025/2026 financial year.
“The biggest challenge that we have is the lack of equipment. We are sharing equipment with other districts. Specifically, we do not have an excavator and our grader was down. We don’t have dump trucks,” Mateega said.
He said the shortage had slowed road works and increased expenditure on hired machinery, leaving fewer resources for actual construction.
Mateega appealed to the Government to equip local governments in the region with road construction machinery to enable them to complete projects within approved timelines.
“If Government can help us to get at least one excavator and a few dump trucks within the region, we shall be in position to complete these road works within the stipulated time without delays,” he said.
Mateega also raised concern over rising fuel prices and taxation, saying the increases had significantly reduced the municipality’s road maintenance budget.
He said fuel was estimated at Shs4,500 per litre during the planning stage but had risen to about Shs6,650 per litre in Kumi.
According to Mateega, taxes and supplier-related costs consume nearly half of the Shs1 billion allocated for road maintenance, leaving the municipality with about Shs500 million for actual road works.
“What we call Shs1 billion is actually like working with Shs500 million. Policy amendment should be looked at to make it favourable for this kind of environment,” he said.
He urged the Government to review the funding and taxation framework for road maintenance to ensure local governments have adequate resources to implement projects effectively.
Kumi Municipality Mayor John Bosco Emenyat described the equipment shortage as one of the biggest impediments to service delivery.
He said the municipality lacks adequate graders, rollers, dump trucks and a water bowser, leaving it dependent on Kumi District for machinery.
“We rely on Kumi District. When both of us receive funds at the same time, we have to wait. This affects our performance,” Emenyat said.
Despite the challenges, Emenyat said the municipality had achieved about 75% of its 2025/2026 work plan.
He appealed to residents to stop using ox-ploughs along newly gravelled roads and allow drainage channels to pass through their gardens, warning that interference with road drainage contributes to the rapid deterioration of roads.
Kumi Town Clerk Okaja Emmanuel said the equipment shortage remained a major obstacle to road development in the municipality.
“As an urban council, our greatest challenge is lack of equipment. We have worked on 14 kilometres and we are finishing the other seven kilometres,” Okaja said.
He appealed to the Government to equip urban councils with graders, wheel loaders, excavators and dump trucks.
“Even one of each would be enough for us to go,” he said.
Okaja also called for the removal of withholding tax on road funds, arguing that local governments should be allowed to maximise the resources allocated for road maintenance.
The concerns were raised during a joint monitoring exercise led by Dr Sister Mary Grace Akiror, Deputy Head of the RDC Secretariat in the Office of the President and Anti-Corruption Unit, together with other officials.
The team assessed several government projects in Kumi, including road works, health infrastructure and projects under government development programmes.
Among the projects inspected was the Skills Development Centre-Kabata road, covering a 700-metre stretch constructed at a cost of Shs23 million during the 2025/2026 financial year.
The team also inspected the Ogooma Health Centre II upgrading project, which is being elevated to a Health Centre III.
A total of Shs380 million has been spent on the first phase of construction, while Shs190 million has been secured for the second phase, covering roofing, shuttering and plastering. A subsequent phase will involve finishing works and equipping the facility.
The monitoring team further assessed the Kalapata-Kamenya road, where 5.4km are being gravelled at a cost of Shs186 million.
Another project inspected was the Kajamaka Valley Dam, valued at Shs3.68 billion and being implemented under the Local Economic Growth and Development Strategy (LLEGS) programme of the Ministry of Local Government.
Kumi Resident District Commissioner Hamwada Pinto commended the district and municipality for the progress registered despite the challenges.
He said defects identified during the monitoring exercise would be addressed and a report submitted to the Office of the President for further action.
Dr Akiror applauded the cooperation between political leaders and technical teams in implementing government programmes.
She said the challenges identified during the monitoring exercise would be presented to the relevant line ministries for intervention.
Dr Akiror also urged local leaders and technical officers to act on the identified gaps, strengthen accountability and improve implementation of government programmes.
She emphasised that effective monitoring should translate into tangible improvements in service delivery and better value for public resources.
The monitoring team said timely provision of road construction equipment, coupled with adequate financing and proper project supervision, would be critical to enabling Kumi Municipality and other local governments to complete infrastructure projects within approved timelines.
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