FROM BORROWING TO OWNING: ARUA CITY FINALLY PURCHASES UGX 1.2 BN GRADER

The newly purchased grader (Photo by Martin Anguyo)

By Martin Anguyo
Arua City

Good website title for this that can attract many reactions and let it be a little bit too long.
 
Excitement filled the air in Arua City as residents witnessed the commissioning of a brand-new grader worth UGX 1.2 billion, purchased using revenue collected in the 2024/2025 financial year.
 
David Kyasanku, the Town Clerk of Arua City, noted that the city had for long been incurring heavy costs by borrowing graders from neighboring districts. With this new acquisition, he expressed optimism that road works and other infrastructural projects will now be carried out more efficiently. ″We had been borrowing a grader between 1.2 and 1.5 million Ugandan shillings daily, and that’s even without fuel and that’s why could not go very far, that’s why council said, let’s secure and I am very grateful″ said the town clerk.
 
Raphael Magyezi, the Minister of Local Government, commended the city council for this milestone, revealing that the government is also in advanced plans to procure more road construction equipment across the country. ″Without waiting for the government they have secured and I congratulate them upon this sign of leadership, getting 1.2 billion out of your budget means you have sacrificed other allowances and things like that″ said the minister. 
 
Meanwhile, Anthony Muche, Chairman of the Arua City Chamber of Commerce, encouraged business owners to continue paying their taxes faithfully, emphasizing that such contributions make it possible to invest in more infrastructure that benefits the community. ″We appreciate the role of tax payers, particularly, the business people that their taxes have enabled us to acquire this vital machine which will greatly enhance our infrastructural development and we urge everyone to continue paying taxes″ said Anthony.
 
Muzaid Khemis, the mayor of central division says, this achievement has been attributed to the city’s success in closing revenue leakages through the effective implementation of the IRS tax payment system. ″We have closed all the leakages, this is something we cannot hide as it solved a lot of problems, we didn’t deviate, we were within the law, we were within the act and it is what has brought all these development″ Khemis said.

While some districts have already received road equipment from the central government, leaders in Arua City continue to call on Members of Parliament (MPs) to push for more machinery, as the city still lacks sufficient tools to maintain and expand its growing urban road network.