Moroto Municipality struggles with road projects over lack of equipment

Moroto, Uganda | URN | Municipality is struggling to deliver road projects on time after a lack of specialised construction equipment forced the council to rely on expensive private machinery, pushing up costs and delaying works.

The municipality says it does not own essential equipment such as excavators, motor graders, rollers, bitumen distributors and chip spreaders, leaving it dependent on private operators and the Ministry of Works and Transport.

The council is now appealing to the Ministry of Works and Transport to equip the municipality with a full set of road construction machinery or establish regional equipment centres from which local governments can access machinery at lower costs. Richard Eyaru, the Town Clerk of Moroto Municipal Council, said the municipality lacks specialised equipment, including a bitumen distributor, chip spreader and tyre roller.

He said the Ministry of Works and Transport currently has only one bitumen distributor serving the entire country, making access to the equipment difficult for local governments. Eyaru cited the one-kilometre Nakapelimen Link as an example, saying the project was delayed after the municipality applied for a bitumen sprayer in April but only received it in July because the equipment was still being used in western Uganda.

He called for the government to equip local governments and establish regional mechanical centres to reduce dependence on private equipment. Eyaru also called for analysis of soil textures in different regions to enable government to develop realistic rates for tarmac and murram roads.

The concerns were raised on Friday as the municipality commissioned two infrastructure projects — the box culvert along Nachap Road and the low-cost sealing of Nakapelimen Link. The Nachap Road box culvert was constructed for 480.8 million shillings under the force-account mechanism.

Works started in January 2026 and were expected to be completed by May, but the project was delayed by the lack of specialised equipment and heavy rains. The completed culvert was handed over to the community on Friday. Emmanuel Odongo, the Municipal Engineer, said the council had been forced to hire equipment such as excavators from private operators at high costs.

He called on the government to equip municipal councils with road construction machinery and consider measures to regulate fuel and construction material prices to reduce project costs. The one-kilometre Nakapelimen Link connects several key government institutions, including Moroto Central Police Station, Moroto High Court, Municipal Council headquarters, District headquarters and the Central Market.

The government released 900 million shillings for the project. According to Odongo, the Ministry of Works released 275 million shillings in the 2024/25 financial year for design consultancy and procurement of materials, followed by another 625 million shillings in 2025/26 for implementation.

He said the project still has a funding deficit of 485.9 million shillings required to fully implement the original design. Works began in April 2026 but were delayed by late approval of the design by the Ministry of Works. The project involved earthworks, subgrade preparation, sub-base processing and compaction, base-course preparation, bituminous surfacing, drainage and road signage.

Odongo said the road is now 100 percent complete apart from road markings and completion of the full side drains. He said the Ministry provided the bitumen distributor and chip spreader, while the municipality hired the rest of the equipment from private operators.

Francis Adome, the Moroto Municipality Member of Parliament, pledged to raise the issue of equipment for the municipality in Parliament. He, however, urged residents to protect road signs against vandalism and theft, particularly by people targeting them for scrap.

Benon Kwikiriza, the Moroto Resident District Commissioner, commended the municipal engineers for delivering what he described as quality work despite the equipment challenges. He warned contractors against corruption and kickbacks, saying all government projects should be inspected by local leaders and his office before commissioning.

Government Plans Regional Equipment Centres

Responding to the concerns, John Baptist Lokii, the Minister for Karamoja Affairs, said the government was planning to establish 17 regional mechanisation centres across the country. He said Karamoja was likely to get one of the centres, which would enable districts and municipalities to access road construction equipment without incurring the high costs associated with private hiring.

Lokii, however, raised concern over inadequate drainage on the newly commissioned Nakapelimen Link, warning that uncontrolled rainwater could undermine the road and shorten its lifespan. He challenged municipal engineers to address the drainage gaps and ensure that the investment is protected.

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