Excitement as Lira city procures road equipment

While other newly created cities await road equipment from the central government, Lira City Council has taken matters into its own hands, using locally generated revenue to acquire its own
machinery.
When the government established regional cities in 2020, most road equipment

remained under the control of the original districts, leaving city authorities struggling with the costly burden of hiring.

Excitement filled Lira city on Wednesday, March 26, as the council unveiled a brand-new motor grader, procured at a cost of sh1 billion. The equipment, delivered by supplier Victoria Equipments, was purchased using funds generated from local revenue.

Lira city clerk Vincent Okurut described the acquisition as a historic milestone, marking the first time the council owns such equipment.

He expressed confidence that the grader would significantly improve road maintenance and rehabilitation efforts.

However, Okurut acknowledged that purchasing the grader through instalments had strained the council’s budget, affecting operations in other sectors.

Lira City Council leaders inspecting the new grader bought using the locally generated revenue.

He commended the city council for prioritising road infrastructure in its budget planning.

Lira city mayor Sam Atul revealed that the council had been renting a grader from Uganda Technical College-Lira at a rate of sh600,000 per day, which later increased to sh1 million, creating a serious financial strain.

Now, with its own grader, the city expects to save significantly on road maintenance costs. Atul hailed the purchase as a major achievement in his five-year tenure and announced plans to acquire a roller and a water bowser, ensuring Lira city has a fully equipped road maintenance unit—while other cities still wait for government-supplied equipment.

To ensure accountability, Atul ordered that the grader be fitted with a GPS tracking device, linked directly to his phone, to monitor its movements. He emphasised that the machine must remain within Lira city boundaries.

Lira city speaker Patrick Okwir defended the council’s decision to prioritise infrastructure over luxury expenditures.

“The money used for acquiring the grader came from Lira city taxpayers. Instead of wasting it on extravagant tours and parties, we chose to buy road equipment, even when some politicians accused us of misusing council funds,” Okwir stated.

Steven Odongo, the Lira deputy resident city commissioner, applauded the council for taking the initiative rather than waiting for government support. He described the purchase as a historic step in the city’s development and urged authorities to maintain the equipment well to address residents’ concerns about poor road conditions.