Moroto Municipality struggles with road projects over lack of equipment

What the report says

Moroto Municipality in eastern Uganda is facing delays and higher costs on road works because it lacks key construction equipment and has had to rent machinery from private operators. According to The Independent Uganda, the council says it does not own essential tools such as excavators, motor graders, rollers, bitumen distributors and chip spreaders, leaving it dependent on the Ministry of Works and Transport and outside contractors.

The issue came up as municipal leaders commissioned two infrastructure projects: a box culvert on Nachap Road and the low-cost sealing of the Nakapelimen Link. Town Clerk Richard Eyaru said limited access to a bitumen distributor slowed the Nakapelimen Link project, while Municipal Engineer Emmanuel Odongo said hiring equipment privately increased costs. The culvert, valued at 480.8 million shillings and built under force account, was delayed by the lack of machinery and heavy rains, though it has now been handed over to the community.

The Nakapelimen Link, about one kilometre long, connects several important public institutions, including police, court, council and district offices, and the central market. Odongo said the project received 900 million shillings across two financial years but still faces a funding gap to meet the original design.

In response, Karamoja Affairs Minister John Baptist Lokii said the government is considering regional mechanisation centres, which could make road equipment more accessible to local governments. The concerns highlight a broader challenge for smaller councils that must deliver public works with limited machinery and resources.