SEMBABULE I URN: Sembabule district Chairperson, Patrick Nkalubo, has asked the government to increase budgetary allocations to the roads sector.
Patrick Nkalubo, in an inauguration address on Friday, said that the money allocated to the local governments for road maintenance is inadequate compared to the underlying need. He observes that the 1 billion shillings allocated for road maintenance for every district is not sufficient.
IHe demanded that Sembabule should be given special consideration by adjusting its road maintenance budget to enable it to regularly rehabilitate and open up more roads.
Nkalubo argues that it’s not logical for the central government to apply the same formula while allocating funds for road maintenance to districts,preferring that the government start to put consideration on the number of kilometres of road network in the local government and terrain to ensure equity.
Besides increasing the roads maintenance budget, Nkalubo also expressed the need for the central government to allocate them a stationary excavation equipment, to enable them to address the recurrent problem of water scarcity affecting the area.
According to Nkalubo, Sembabule has long grappled with the problem of acute scarcity of water, which is a critical requirement for both agriculture and domestic use. He says that, given its topography and geographical location within the dry cattle corridor, the district is usually affected during the dry seasons, leading to general crop failure and sometimes animal death.
Nkalubo prefers that the government allocate the district at least a set of excavation equipment for every two constituencies, to enable them to excavate and desilt more water dams that can sustain them through the dry seasons.
Hajj Elias Kasozi, the Sembabule district Council Speaker, says that the poor road networks in some parts of the district tend to undermine the achievements they have registered in the last term of office.
“We are going to engage with the Ministry of Works and Transport to consider the required adjustments in the budget allocation, as a district with unique challenges,” he noted.
He is optimistic that because the district council is only composed of National Resistance Movement-NRM Councilors, they will be able to speak with one voice and realize the aspirations of their electorates.
Ashurah Nakakande, the Sembabule district female Councilor representing Lwebitakuli sub county, prefers that the central government allocate all districts in the cattle corridor more maintenance funds and a new road unit, to enable them to respond to their needs promptly.
Notably, the shillings 1 billion budget allocation for every local council five, was adopted by the outgoing parliament as a strategic intervention for ensuring improved community access roads across the country.
