Equipment Crisis Threatens Kumi Municipality Road Projects Despite Shs1 Billion Funding

What the report says

Kumi Municipality in eastern Uganda is facing delays on road works because of a shortage of construction equipment, according to Watchdog Uganda. Local officials said the council does not have enough graders, excavators, dump trucks, rollers and water bowsers, forcing it to borrow machinery from Kumi District or rent private equipment at higher cost. The issue comes as the municipality manages road maintenance funding of Shs1 billion for the 2025/2026 financial year.

Principal Executive Engineer Henry Mateega said the municipality had gravelled 15km of the planned 21km road network, but progress was being slowed by equipment gaps, fuel costs and taxes. He said the planned fuel price had risen significantly by the time work was underway, while taxes and related charges were reducing the amount available for actual construction. He argued that, after deductions, only about half of the allocated road money was effectively reaching works on the ground.

Mayor John Bosco Emenyat and Town Clerk Okaja Emmanuel also said the equipment shortage was limiting service delivery and causing dependence on district machinery. Okaja said the council was working on remaining road sections and urged government to provide at least basic machinery for urban councils. The concerns were raised during a joint monitoring exercise led by Dr Sister Mary Grace Akiror from the Office of the President and the Anti-Corruption Unit, which also reviewed other projects in Kumi, including a health centre upgrade and additional road and dam works.

The reporting highlights a broader local-government challenge in Uganda: infrastructure budgets can be undermined by limited machinery, rising input costs and shared equipment arrangements, which can slow delivery even when funding has already been approved.