Kampala, Uganda – An April 2024 ministerial report has highlighted a deepening funding crisis that threatens to derail Uganda’s road infrastructure development dreams and progress. The report outlines significant shortfalls in funding across multiple critical projects, jeopardizing the country’s transportation infrastructure.
Rural Bridges Infrastructure Project
In the financial year (FY) 2019/2020, the government launched a five-year Rural Bridges Infrastructure Project aimed at constructing 15 new bridges, 17.5km of swamp crossings, and 30 alternative bridge mechanisms, including arc bridges, footbridges, and metallic ladders. The project, estimated to cost Shs300 billion, has only received Shs99.6 billion by April 2024. Consequently, only seven bridges, one kilometre of swamp crossing, 18 cable bridges and footbridges, and two new metallic ladders in the Elgon area have been completed.
Community Roads Improvement Project
The Community Roads Improvement Project, designed in FY 2020/21 to rehabilitate 7,905km of community access roads at a cost of Shs391.6 billion, has also suffered from inadequate funding. By April, only Shs127.3 billion had been disbursed, allowing for the rehabilitation of 1,392km of community roads, with 225km still under construction.
District Roads Rehabilitation
The Rehabilitation of District Roads project, which began in July 2021 with a budget of Shs991.4 billion to rehabilitate 5,000km of district roads, has only received Shs190.4 billion. The project aims to seal 420km of low-volume roads and 175km of medium-volume roads using innovative, low-cost sealing technologies. However, implementation has been significantly delayed due to funding gaps.
Urban Roads Rehabilitation
The five-year Rehabilitation and Upgrading of Urban Roads project, which was re-scoped in FY 2022/2023 to include a presidential directive to tarmac 90km of urban roads in Bukedi and Busoga sub-regions, requires an additional Shs465 billion. Despite completing preliminary engineering designs, no funds have been received to start construction. The project initially targeted tarmacking 34km of roads in 10 municipal councils and 60km of roads in 25 town councils at a cost of Shs715.5 billion, but only Shs74.2 billion had been released by February 2024.
Impact on Externally Funded Projects
The funding crisis has also impacted externally funded projects, which require domestic funding for counterpart contributions and land acquisition. The Ministry of Works and Transport has struggled to maintain and refurbish road equipment due to a drastic reduction in the maintenance budget from Shs22 billion in FY 2019/2020 to Shs11.6 billion in FY 2020/2021.
Challenges and Recommendations
Minister of Works, Gen. Katumba Wamala, informed Parliament that the ministry needs an additional Shs100 billion to retool and refurbish regional mechanical workshops and Shs406 billion per year to effectively rehabilitate the DUCAR road networks. The report also highlights the need for amendments to the Public Finance Management Act and related regulations to align with program-based budgeting.
Parliamentary Response
Anthony Akol, a member of the parliamentary Budget and Finance committees, acknowledged the genuine need for increased funding, blaming the Finance Ministry’s planning for the underperformance. He noted that while Shs58 trillion was budgeted for the last financial year, only Shs43 trillion was spent, raising concerns about the feasibility of the current Shs72 trillion budget.
The report underscores the urgent need for adequate funding and efficient planning to ensure the completion of ongoing projects and the initiation of new ones, essential for improving Uganda’s road infrastructure and boosting economic growth.
Source: Daily Monitor
