Rukungiri District Council has approved the reallocation of UGX 187.2 million initially budgeted for culvert installation and road rehabilitation projects in the 2025/2026 financial year to other road works planned for FY 2026/2027.
The approval followed a motion requesting amendments to the approved annual work plan for FY 2025/2026, which was tabled before the council by the Secretary for Finance, Planning and Administration, Gideon Ntungura, during a district council sitting held last week.
According to a document signed by the Rukungiri District Engineer, Basigira Julius Byamurema, the amendment was necessitated by challenges in securing steel culverts from the Ministry of Works and Transport, as well as the completion of some planned road works through interventions by the UPDF and the area Member of Parliament.
The district engineer explained that the district failed to obtain the required AMUCO steel culverts from the Ministry of Works and Transport, affecting planned drainage improvement projects at Njororo water crossing in Ruhinda Sub-county and Omubuyenje water crossing in Nyarushanje Sub-county.
The stalled projects included the installation of one line of 2500mm diameter steel culverts at Njororo water crossing valued at UGX 60 million and four lines of 1800mm diameter steel culverts at Omubuyenje water crossing worth UGX 70 million.
The district also noted that some roads earlier scheduled for routine mechanized maintenance had already been rehabilitated through interventions funded by Rukungiri area Member of Parliament Naboth Namanya and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces under the “Teresita” arrangement.
Among the affected roads was the Omukacundezi–Kayanga–Nyarushanje–Kamirantende road in Nyarushanje Sub-county, which had initially been allocated UGX 31.6 million before rehabilitation works were undertaken by the UPDF.
Also affected was the Ihambiro–Izinga–Kyetobokire–Kazinga road in Nyarushanje Sub-county, previously allocated UGX 25.6 million but later rehabilitated through support from the area Member of Parliament.
Following council approval, the district will now redirect the funds to alternative road maintenance projects, including the Kashenyi–Rwengiri road in Ruhinda Sub-county, Omukinyinya–Kishanda road in Nyarushanje and Nyakishenyi sub-counties, Nyabushenyi–Kigarama–Nyabisoni–Nyarurambi road, and the Mutojo–Kakibaya–Rwabigangura road section in Kebisoni Town Council.
District leaders said the changes are intended to avoid duplication of services and ensure effective utilization of public funds while addressing priority road infrastructure needs across the district. URN