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By Cinderella Atenyo
Residents of Moroto Municipality are set to benefit from improved access and connectivity following the completion of a UGX 480.8 million box culvert at Nachap Road in Kakoliye Ward, South Division. The infrastructure, commissioned on Friday, August 28, 2026, by the Minister for Karamoja Affairs, Hon. Loki John Baptist, links Kakoliye Zone Close 9 to the municipal abattoir and four neighbouring villages.
The project is expected to make movement easier between the residential areas and key municipal facilities, particularly the abattoir, while improving access for communities connected to the road network. The Minister also unveiled a UGX 900 million low-cost double-sealed road at Nakapelimen Link, adding to ongoing efforts to improve Moroto’s road infrastructure.
The Nachap project was implemented under a UGX 1 billion government grant for the 2025/26 financial year, earmarked for road and bridge maintenance and rehabilitation. Official records indicate that the project was launched on January 7, 2026, with construction beginning on January 20.
Unlike projects implemented through external contractors, the works were carried out under the force account mechanism, using the municipal council’s technical personnel under the supervision of municipal engineers. Minister Lokii commended Municipal Civil Engineer Emmanuel Odongo and his team for the quality of work, while calling for stronger cooperation between Moroto District and Moroto Municipality.
The development comes at a time when Moroto Municipality is seeking to expand its urban footprint. Tepeth County MP Albert Lokoru, who attended the commissioning, commended what he described as the municipality’s remarkable transformation and called for dialogue over the proposed expansion of Moroto Municipality.
For a town seeking greater urban development, improved roads and drainage infrastructure are critical to connecting communities, municipal facilities and areas of economic activity. The new link to the abattoir and surrounding villages therefore provides more than a transport connection; it adds to the infrastructure needed to support movement and economic activity as the municipality expands.
However, the municipal engineer, Odongo, noted that sustaining and expanding such infrastructure remains challenging. The council faced shortages of specialized equipment, including excavators, high equipment-hiring costs, rising fuel prices, shortages of skilled labour, expensive construction materials, inadequate funding for side drains, understaffing and disruptions caused by heavy rainfall.
Local leaders are now calling on Government to equip municipal councils with road units to reduce construction costs, increase funding for drainage structures and enhance the wage bill to enable councils to recruit more engineers. The Resident District Commissioner, Benon Kwikiriza, also commended the municipal leadership for transparency in implementing the project, stressing the importance of proper monitoring in ensuring quality public infrastructure.
As Moroto continues to pursue urban expansion, the completion of the Nachap bridge and the Nakapelimen Link road highlights the growing importance of reliable infrastructure in improving access and supporting the municipality’s transition into a more connected urban centre.
