Rubbish strewn on the road in Ibanda Town after the drainage channel was blocked. Some leaders believe community efforts can solve the challenge. (Credit: Stephen Nuwagira)

IBANDA - Local governments should look for innovative initiatives to solve community challenges, especially the poor state of feeder roads.

Ibanda district senior civil engineer Selestine Bwambale believes that with the dwindling central government funding for road works, local governments should exploit initiatives, like bulungi bwansi (community work), to carry out minor works (on district or sub-country roads).

The engineer argues that such interventions would ensure roads are always motorable, saying the central government “cannot handle every small thing”. 

While supporting the idea, John Muhoozi, the district secretary for works, said residents can unblock drainage channels under the guidance of LC officials.

He explained that at times, drains are blocked by rubbish following a heavy downpour. With no passage, the subsequent run-offs find’ new routes over the roads, destroying them.

He said if the local council officials organised residents, the drainage channels would be unblocked to protect the roads.   

He added that Ibanda district has over 30 feeder roads under its care, making it hard to maintain all of them with the little funding from the Government.

Medius Kyarikunda, a district lady councillor for Kicuzi sub-county, said some residents intentionally block drainage channels in the land, which compounds the problem.

We need to sensitise residents to understand the need for drainage and why they should be protected by everyone, otherwise the roads will continue to get spoilt as you watch, said Muhoozi.

A few years back, Ibanda passed a bylaw on bulungi bansi. However, it seems not to be operational.

The officials were responding to concerns raised by some councillors about lack of drainage on roads done by the district in the recent past during the district budget conference at the district council hall on October 30, 2025.

The budget conference is the first step in the annual budget-making process.

The district’s current fiscal year budget is nearly shillings 36.4 billion, higher than next financial year’s planning figure of over 35.52 billion.

Meanwhile, the district plans to carry out routine manual maintenance on 84 kilometres of roads next financial year, while 144km will undergo routine mechanised maintenance, among other activities.