The Committee on Physical Infrastructure will evaluate the conditions of regional mechanical workshops under various government entities following concerns raised by the State Minister for Transport, Fred Byamukama. The directive, issued by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, comes in response to Minister Byamukama’s statement during the plenary session on October 11, 2023.
Byamukama informed the Members of Parliament (MPs) that among the four regional workshops responsible for maintaining and repairing road equipment under his ministry, only one remains adequately equipped and operational.
According to Byamukama, inadequate infrastructure and deteriorating structures plague the workshops, which has resulted from a decline in funding over the years. He emphasized that the budget allocated for routine maintenance fell from Shs22 billion to Shs12 billion in 2017 when road equipment was procured. This budget cut led to the ministry’s inability to provide essential items like tires and batteries, as well as settle accumulated debts with service providers. As a consequence, the availability of the equipment dropped to about 30 percent.
During discussions, some legislators expressed skepticism about the minister’s explanation, arguing that even when local governments allocated funds for repairs, the workshops consistently failed to fulfill their mandate, often due to a lack of necessary expertise.
For example, Hon. Denis Nyangweso (Independent, Samia Bugwe Central County) stated that the Bugembe Regional Mechanical Workshop in Jinja District had declined their requests for repairs, prompting them to seek private service providers.
Hon. Yusuf Mutembuli, representing Bunyole East County, revealed that a tipper truck from Butaleja District taken to the Jinja workshop in 2019 had not been repaired, and efforts to retrieve it faced opposition from the workshop.
Concerns were raised that the condition of the workshops could impact the implementation of the Shs1 billion allocated to each district for road maintenance in the 2023/2024 budget under the Road Fund.
MPs suggested that the government should consider accrediting maintenance facilities at the district level, as the existing four workshops could not sufficiently serve the entire country. They also called for an assessment of the funds allocated to the workshops over the years, with doubts regarding progress.
Rwampara County MP, Hon. Amos Kankunda, urged the responsible committee to investigate beyond budgetary limitations to determine the root causes of the workshops’ failures.
