TORORO – The Tororo District Roads Committee has outrightly rejected the 2025/26 work plan submitted by Tororo Municipal Council after discovering that road works funded in the previous financial year were only 50 percent complete.
The revelation emerged during a meeting meant to review the state of roads and approve new plans for both the district and municipality.
However, only four of the nine expected MPs attended, and tensions rose when members learned that allocated funds remain idle in the municipal council’s bank account rather than being returned to the Treasury.
“Money for road works for the last financial year was released but to date the works are still at fifty percent. Yet again you have already received money for this year. How safe are we?” asked Fredrick Angura, Tororo County South MP.
Municipal Town Clerk Moses Lorika defended the delays, citing a lack of equipment.
“The reason why we have delayed is because we don't have a compactor, but we already have maram on the road. We are only left with spreading and compacting.”
However, legislators remained unconvinced, criticizing the use of maram surfaces on municipal roads as unacceptable.
“We can’t have maram in municipality roads. We have recommended that Tororo Municipality officials do proper cost-sealing. Out of the one billion shillings they get, they can do two kilometers per year, and within ten years the entire municipality will be done,” said Geoffrey Ekanya, Tororo County North MP.
Committee chairperson Emmanuel Otaala raised serious accountability concerns.
“The first quarter money has already been released, so we felt we were dealing with people who are not serious and could not be party to illegalities.”
The meeting also uncovered delays on the rehabilitation of Oil Seed Road, awarded to Jopal Investments and Logistics Limited at Shs1.2 billion.
With only two months left on the contract, less than 20 percent of the work has been completed.
“It’s actually less than twenty percent, and yet he is left with two months. This puts the whole contract in jeopardy,” warned Otaala.
“Worse still, the quality of work we are seeing is not acceptable. If they don’t improve, we will have to have this contract cancelled,” Ekanya added.
Despite the government releasing one billion shillings annually for Tororo’s roads, many remain in poor condition — a situation legislators say must change to ensure taxpayers get value for money.