Lack of equipment, limited funding keeps Hoima city roads in sorry state

Hoima, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Several roads in Hoima city are in a sorry state. The roads are virtually unmotorable both during the wet and dry seasons. Composed of East and West divisions, the city’s infrastructure of 680 roads is still wanting at this time when they are used mostly due to the increasing population propelled by the discovery of oil and gas in Hoima district.

Some of the affected roads are Kyentale-Kabaale, Mparo-Buhanika, Busiisi-Nyawaigambe-Kibaati, Lusaka-Bujumbura and Kyedikyo-Bulinda, all situated in Hoima East division. The others are Kibingo-Itara-Kyabalyanga, Bulamwe-Bubaale, Kyamutema-Kisonde, and Kihomboza 2-Kihomboza 3 roads in Hoima west division.

As the city authorities plan to rehabilitate the already dilapidated roads, they have realized the need to open more roads to enable the populace to access economic enhancers. Most of the road construction equipment was already grounded when the city was still under a municipal status. To date, the machines have never been repaired due to lack of funds.

Hoima city received Shillings74million this quarter from the central government to work on various roads, which the authorities say is not enough to rehabilitate all the roads in a sorry state. John Atugonza, a resident of Hoima west division says that several roads in the area are impassable especially during the rainy season because the city authorities have taken long to grade them.

Rose Kyalisiima, a resident of Hoima East division faults the city authorities for not doing enough to repair roads, saying that some of them have become a death trap. Bosco Muhanuzi, the Mayor Hoima East division says that the division is financially constrained to work on all the dilapidated roads.

Robert Ruhigwa, the Mayor Hoima East division equally says that lack of funding is frustrating their efforts to rehabilitate roads in the area. He says the entire division is being run on a budget of Shillings 500 million.

Brian Kaboyo, the Mayor of Hoima City told Uganda Radio Network in an interview that the roads that are in a sorry state would have been worked upon had it not been the lack of enough road construction equipment.

He says the sorry state of the roads has compelled the city authorities to write to different institutions for assistance with road construction equipment including the government-owned Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), which unfortunately busy.

He says currently, they are waiting for a rejoinder from Hoima district and Chongqing International Construction Corporation (CICO) polishing the Hoima-Buliisa road after writing to them requesting assistance with equipment for use for five days.

Kaboyo says Shillings 74 million has been allocated by the central government to work on roads this financial year, and is too small for the work including the purchase of fuel, repair, and operating the machines.

Kaboyo however says that the city authorities will use the meager resources to work on the roads with priority on those in the direst state. He calls upon the city residents to be patient as they look for all possible means to have the roads worked upon.

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