Rukungiri District Redirects UGX 187 Million Road Funds After UPDF, MP Interventions

Rukungiri: Rukungiri District Council has approved the reallocation of UGX 187.2 million that had initially been budgeted for culvert installation and road rehabilitation projects in the 2025/2026 financial year to other road works planned for the next financial year 2026/2027.

The approval followed a motion of Request for Amendment of the Approved Annual Work Plan for FY 2025/2026, tabled before council by the Secretary for Finance, Planning and Administration, Hon. Gideon Ntungura, during the district council sitting held last week.

According to a document signed by the Rukungiri District Engineer, Basigira Julius Byamurema, the amendment was prompted 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.

In the document, the district engineer explained that the district failed to obtain the required AMUCO steel culverts from the Ministry of Works and Transport, which affected 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 worth UGX 60 million and four lines of 1800mm diameter steel culverts at Omubuyenje water crossing valued at UGX 70 million.

The district further noted that some roads which had been scheduled for routine mechanized maintenance had already been worked on under interventions funded by Rukungiri area Member of Parliament Hon. 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 been allocated UGX 31.6 million before being worked on 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 the 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 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 needs across the district.