BY KF MALE: The government through the ministry of Works and Transport has given road work equipment which include motor graders and wheel loaders to 14 newly created districts to improve road maintenance and construction in these districts. The districts that have benefited include Bugweri, karachi,Tarenga, Kasanda, Kazo, Lwampara, Madi Okolo, Terego, Kaperabyong, Kitagwenda, Kwania, Nabilatuk, Kikuube among others.
General Katumba Wamala the minister of Works and Transport while speaking at the flag off ceremony at the ministry’s headquarters in Kampala on Wednesday highlighted that in 2017 President Museveni directed the procurement of 1151 pieces of road work equipment which were distributed to 121 local governments including 6 new districts that came on force by that year.
He added that each district was given a complete unit of roan works equipment and shortly after the parliament approved creation of new districts which did not benefit from the previous consignment yet they have the same road challenges or more. Furthermore, the minister stated that the government procured other equipment at a budget of 34 billion shillings and his ministry only managed to get 34 billion which helped to procure half of the units being flagged off.
Now Katumba is seeking for 30 billion shillings to procure the full unit of the equipment remaining which include damp tracks, water balsas, Vibral rollers among others. Khalifan Ssewante the undersecretary from the ministry of local government who represented the permanent secretary appealed to the parliament to secure funds so that the ministry can to procure the remaining units of the equipment because these new districts need a full set of the equipment like the other districts.
He also asked the ministry to secure funds to buy pickup cars for the district engineers which they can use to inspect road construction and maintenance as well as transporting additional fuel whenever necessary. Ssewante stated that currently district engineers jump on graders to transport them to fields where they are going to work for them to inspect roads which he says it’s not appropriate.
Benon Kashuna Director of Transport at the Minister of Works and Transport while reading the permanent secretary’s speech said that the ministry secured a grant aid from the government of Japan to establish an operator training centre at Luweero called the mechanical engineering training and advisory centre. He added that the centre will be used to train machine operators until the government has got the required operator and drivers of the equipment in the districts.
He also cautioned the users of the equipment about the quality of the fuel used in the machines saying that poor quality of fuels used lead to the breakdown of the equipment. To safeguard the fuel systems and functionality of the equipment the districts are urged to use shell or Total fuels and also transport the fuel in clean containers while fuelling the machines.
The Prime Minister of Uganda Robina Nabbanja who flagged off the equipment noted that the road subsector has been a major driver for economic development. The provision of road equipment to the new districts underscores government commitment to equitable development and inclusive growth.
Nabbanja assured the new districts that the government will procure the remaining unit of the equipment and also secure pick-up cars to the district engineers. The prime minister warned district heads about the misuse of the given machines saying that they are supposed to be kept to their desired jobs of road construction and maintenance but not working on private farms. The national roads network currently stands at 159364 kilometres of which 144 kilometres is within the district urban and community access roads.