REDUCED ROAD FUNDS AFFECTS SERVICE DELIVERY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS
REDUCED ROAD FUNDS AFFECTS SERVICE DELIVERY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS
BY KAJUMBA GORRET 21ST/DEC/2021
Reduction of road funds has greatly affected better service delivery in local government units of Kabarole and Kyenjojo districts.
According to the Mayor Mugusu town council Mr. Rwamwaro Kiiza David, they are facing a big challenge on working on the town council roads since road funds were reduced from 12.5million shillings to 5M shillings quarterly.
Rwamwaro said that a year they used to receive 50M shillings but now funds reduced to 20M shillings which are too small; adding that 5million shillings received per quarter they have to pay road gangs as they have nine groups which take 1.35 million per month and the town council remains with 950000 shillings.
He revealed that the local revenue collection was also affected by ciovid-19 restrictions as market tendering used to be 27million per quarter and now it is at 3 millions quarterly of which they have to use some of the money on garbage management and maintaining the cleanness of the town council.
Rwamwaro said that they have opt to others means of getting funds by engaging other stake holders like the ministry of local government to lobby for the town council to ensure that the roads are worked on.
LC3 chairperson Kabende sub county Mr. Katusabe James revealed that they used to receive 6.5M shillings road funds but this financial year they have received 3M shillings which cannot even work on one road.
Katusabe added that Kabende sub county depends on farming for local revenue and house hold income but due to the bad state of the roads even the prices of their agricultural produce has lowered down and farmers have no means to transport their produce to the market.
Musumba Godfrey LC3 Harugongo Sub County said that as a sub county they received 8M shillings of which it cannot work the roads to the standard residents expect their roads to be; adding that residents are putting local leaders on pressure to marrum their roads without knowing the challenges they are facing to grade those roads.
He added that they are working on Harugongo- Kakundwa-Rwengaju under the project of Local Economic Growth Support [LEGS]; this road helps people to access to health facility, Harugongo primary school and to the market.
He disclosed that as Sub County they just work on roads that give access to the people; he asked government to increase on the road funds so as to work on roads that that sustain for threes as how local people.
Mr. Kahuzo Erikana chairperson LC3 Karangura Sub County said that every financial year the sub county receives 6 million shillings allocated on every road of which it is too little compared to the expenses.
Kahuzo said that due to lack of road funds, they have decided to manual labor as they cannot hire excavator and other required construction vehicles.
The acting Sub-county Chief of Karangura Mrs. Ankunda Brenda said that due to the hilly geographic setting of the area rains easily destroy roads and they are facing a challenge with the communities as they do not want to maintain their roads after being worked by the government and they think that they have taken the roads and yet every financial year they have to focus on another issue in the district.
However, District Chairperson Kabarole Mr. Richard Rwabuhinga demands Members of parliament to increase budget for road construction and maintenance to enable districts extend better services to citizens.
According to Rwabuhinga, the district receives inadequate funds which cannot enable them purchase murrum and insert on roads. He adds that with the limited funds, they only do periodic grading and shaping which makes the road impassable during the rainy season.
Rwabuhinga who doubles as the Chairperson of all LCVs in Rwenzori was speaking at the Launch of a 7.4km Harugongo-Kakundwa- Rwengaju road in Kabarole district.
MEANWHILE In Kyenjojo district, Rubaihayo Gilbert chairperson LCV noted that the road funds where reduced for the whole financial year to a quarter of the money they are supposed to get; adding that in the last quarter they where supposed to get 250m but they insteady received 87m and in this quarter, they have recived 260m and insteady received 67m which includes allowances, fuel and repairs which is very small to cater for all
He is therefore calling for public to understand the Covid 19 pandemic caused a constrain in the budget therefore should be patient but communities that can cooperate which district authorities by buying fuel will be given tractor with a driver