In a significant legislative decision, Uganda’s Parliament has approved the Uganda National Roads Authority (Repeal) Bill, 2024, effectively dissolving the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA).
The bill’s passage marks a shift in the country’s approach to infrastructure management, with UNRA’s responsibilities set to be integrated into the Ministry of Works and Transport.
The bill passed with amendments for a smoother transition, reflects broader government policy to streamline and consolidate public service agencies.
A Transition Without Job Losses
Hon. Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, Uganda’s Minister of Works, reassured the public and UNRA employees that UNRA’s dissolution would not lead to job losses.
Instead, UNRA employees will have the opportunity to transition into positions within the Ministry of Works under Uganda’s public service framework.
“We are not going to create unemployment; we are going to validate all workers of UNRA, and those willing to work under the public service arrangement are welcome,” Minister Wamala said, emphasizing that the government intends to retain experienced personnel to continue supporting road infrastructure projects without creating gaps in employment.
Questioning the Role of Autonomous Agencies
Minister Wamala expressed concerns over the original creation of autonomous agencies like UNRA, suggesting that decentralizing these functions may have inadvertently weakened the central government.
He questioned the rationale behind establishing such agencies, indicating that they might have added complexity to governance without significantly improving outcomes.
“I don’t know where the concept of creating agencies came from; it looks like the idea was to weaken the central government,” he remarked, reflecting on the shift from autonomous entities to centralized management.
Impact on the Uganda Road Fund and Local Oversight
The repeal of the Uganda National Roads Authority also affects the Uganda Road Fund, which is set to be dissolved and its funds brought under the Ministry’s management.
However, Hon. Musa Ecweru, Minister of State for Works, assured Parliament that district-level Road Committees would remain operational to ensure effective management and fair distribution of road maintenance funds across the country.
“The funding previously managed by the Uganda Road Fund will continue to reach local districts, but it will now fall under the Ministry’s oversight,” Ecweru stated, aiming to assure stakeholders that local road maintenance will not suffer from the integration of these responsibilities.
Parliamentary Support and Concerns
Hon. Dan Kimosho, Chairperson of the Committee on Physical Infrastructure, presented a report endorsing the rationalization effort.
However, he emphasized that the Ministry must ensure sufficient funding to support local governments in maintaining their road infrastructure.
Kimosho’s stance underscores a common concern among MPs, who, while supportive of the bill, remain focused on ensuring that essential road projects and maintenance initiatives receive adequate resources to meet Uganda’s infrastructure goals.
Recent Moves to Consolidate Government Functions
The dissolution of UNRA is part of a broader government policy to streamline public agencies, reducing redundancies, and cutting operational costs.
In a similar move earlier this year, Parliament approved the integration of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) into the Ministry of Agriculture.
President Museveni has been a vocal advocate of this consolidation, arguing that some of these agencies, such as UNRA and UCDA, do not add substantial value to the country’s development.
According to Museveni, these entities have often relied heavily on the national budget without providing significant contributions to government goals.
President Museveni’s Critique of UNRA
In a recent statement, President Museveni criticized UNRA as a “parasitic” organization that added no value to the country’s development.
He argued that UNRA’s role was limited to awarding contracts funded entirely by the government, which could be managed within the Ministry of Works at a lower cost.
“UNRA was totally dependent on the government budget. Their job was to award contracts for road construction using money given to them by the budget with a Board that had to be paid. Yet, in the Ministry of Works, there is a procurement unit for this and that, manned by civil servants,” Museveni stated, describing the duplication of roles as unnecessary and costly.
Museveni’s statement highlighted his view that UNRA, along with other agencies like UCDA, had become redundant and inefficient, leading to a decline in government capacity and effectiveness.
“The Board here and the Authority are parasites, they are irrational and have no value addition,” he said, adding, “In fact, the nonsense about UNRA caused a regression in the capacity of the country.”
UNRA’s Achievements and Legacy
Despite the criticisms, MPs pointed to UNRA’s accomplishments over the past 15 years. Under UNRA’s management, Uganda’s National Road Network has grown in both scale and quality, with a current estimated net worth of USD 5.4 billion.
UNRA has been credited with constructing over 3,686 kilometres of newly paved roads, significantly outpacing previous efforts in the country’s road infrastructure development.
“This is compared to 2,800 kilometres of paved roads that were constructed over 50 years, from the 1950s to 2008, when UNRA was created,” MPs noted, adding that today the total kilometres of paved roads managed by UNRA stands at 6,486 kilometres.
The Road Ahead for Uganda’s Infrastructure Management
The decision to dissolve UNRA reflects a significant shift in Uganda’s approach to public service management, with implications for both national and local infrastructure projects.
With oversight centralized in the Ministry of Works and Transport, the government aims to improve efficiency, reduce redundancy, and streamline operations across infrastructure agencies.
As Uganda embarks on this new phase of infrastructure management, the central government will need to address the challenges of funding, oversight, and local government collaboration to ensure that road infrastructure projects continue to meet the needs of the population.
The Haunting Truck ghost
The Passing of UNRA Repeal Bill 2024 comes at a time when Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) towed away the mysterious truck that had been parked along the Kireka-Namugongo road for years.
This rusting vehicle, immobile for an extended period, attracted the attention of many people and has been the subject of numerous myths and superstitions.
The truck’s presence had long been a source of both fascination and fear.
There have been stories that, before the owner died, he declared that the truck would never be moved.
Further chilling, unverified stories circulated about road traffic officers who attempted to tow the vehicle and reportedly went mad as a result.
Even scrap metal dealers, who usually seize any opportunity to collect and sell metal, allegedly avoided the truck, claiming it was cursed.
These tales contributed to a widespread belief among locals that “witchcraft is stronger than government,” suggesting that even authorities were wary of confronting the supernatural elements purportedly associated with the truck.
This belief was reinforced by the truck’s continued presence, which seemed to defy logical explanations and official intervention.
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