Rukungiri District Council has approved the reallocation of Shs187.2 million, which was initially budgeted for culvert installation and road rehabilitation in the 2025/2026 financial year, to other road works in the 2026/2027 financial year.
The approval followed a motion to amend the annual work plan for FY 2025/2026, tabled by the Secretary for Finance, Planning and Administration, Gideon Ntungura, during last week’s council sitting.
According to a document signed by the District Engineer, Julius Basigira Byamurema, the amendment was prompted by challenges in securing steel culverts from the Ministry of Works and Transport, as well as the completion of some planned works through interventions by the UPDF and Rukungiri area MP, Naboth Namanya.
“The district failed to obtain the required AMUCO steel culverts from the Ministry of Works and Transport, which affected planned drainage improvement projects at Njororo water crossing in Ruhinda Sub-county and Omubuyenje water crossing in Nyarushanje Sub-county,” Basigira said.
The stalled projects included the installation of one line of 2,500mm diameter steel culverts at Njororo water crossing worth Shs60 million, and four lines of 1,800mm diameter steel culverts at Omubuyenje water crossing valued at Shs70 million.
Basigira added that some roads that had been scheduled for routine mechanized maintenance were already worked on under interventions funded by MP Naboth Namanya and the UPDF under the Teresita arrangement.
Among them was the Omukacundezi–Kayanga–Nyarushanje–Kamirantende road in Nyarushanje Sub-county, which had been allocated Shs31.6 million before being rehabilitated by the UPDF.
Also affected was the Ihambiro–Izinga–Kyetobokire–Kazinga road in Nyarushanje, which had been allocated Shs25.6 million but was later rehabilitated through support from the area MP.
Following council approval, the district will now redirect the funds to alternative road maintenance projects, including the Kashenyi–Rwengiri road in Ruhinda, the Omukinyinya–Kishanda road in Nyarushanje and Nyakishenyi, the Nyabushenyi–Kigarama–Nyabisoni–Nyarurambi road, and the Mutojo–Kakibaya–Rwabigangura road section in Kebisoni Town Council.
District leaders said the changes aim to avoid duplication of services and ensure the effective use of public funds while addressing priority road infrastructure needs.