The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) failed to fully utilize Ugx 3.1Tn received in the Financial Year 2022/2023 and returned Ugx 488.7Bn to the national coffers amidst the poor state of roads in the country.
By law, the unutilized cash is sent back to the treasury which the authority has done.
A forensic audit of 2022/2023 budget performance found out that by failing to utilize the available funds meant that, roads were not constructed. This consequently affected the achievement of the National Development Plan (NDP) III and Vision 2040.
“How can UNRA even return all that money to Government treasury yet us who use the Kampala-Masaka road spend hours passing through Sembabule to reach where we are going? Couldn’t UNRA, use this money to work on that road permanently?” Imelda Kobusingye a businesswoman lamented.
In May 2023, the bridge at Katonga collapsed leading to a diversion and three weeks later, UNRA reopened it to taxis and light vehicles, while heavy cargo lorries, trailers and buses are still using the diversion route through the districts of Butambala, Gomba-Sembabule, Bukomansimbi, and Kalungu to connect to Masaka.
This is not the first time this bridge has collapsed which has raised questions and debates of probably shoddy works being done on it.
“It could also be that there are other complementary activities to be done, for example UNRA was supposed to work on the road, but the right of way has not yet been granted. Even if you sign, the contractor may not be able to work on the road. Or some other legal issue comes up. The process can drag on and before you know it, the financial year has closed and the money swept back,” Fred Muhumuza an Economist said.
Entities with unspent funds include the Office of the President (shs1.3Bn), Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs (shs1.2Bn), Ministry of Local Government (shs 26.1Bn), Uganda Development Corporation (shs 210.48Bn), Parliamentary Commission (shs 3.7Bn) and Kampala Capital City Authority (shs13.56Bn), among others.
The Auditor General also faults Parliament for approving budgets without corresponding strategic plans, which undermines implementation.
