GEN. ELWELU CALLS FOR INCREASED FUNDING FOR SOROTI DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS CONSTRUCTION

Lt. Gen. Peter Elwelu, head of the Teso-Karamoja Monitoring Mechanism, has called for increased funding to accelerate the construction of Soroti District headquarters.

The appeal was made during an inspection of government-implemented projects and programs in Soroti District by the Teso-Karamoja Monitoring Mechanism team, led by Gen. Elwelu on 12^th march, 2025.

The district headquarters administration block is being constructed by the UPDF Engineering Brigade under the Ministry of Defence at an estimated cost of UGX 11 billion. The construction is being carried out in phases.

However, according to Capt. Noah Opio, the project manager, progress has been hindered by the slow release of funds. He informed the monitoring team that only UGX 2.5 billion out of the total budget had been disbursed, forcing the them to work at a slower pace. So far, only the ground slab has been completed, while the first-floor slab is under construction.

“We are working hard to complete the project, but the slow release of funds is hindering our progress. We urge the government to release the remaining funds quickly so that we can complete the project on time,” Capt. Opio said.

The remaining work includes fixing doors, windows, plastering, and painting the ground floor.

To address the issue, Gen. Elwelu pledged to push for the immediate release of 50% of the total project cost to enable the UPDF Engineering Brigade to complete the project on schedule.

“I will follow up with the Ministry of Finance to ensure that the necessary funds are released promptly,” Gen. Elwelu assured.

The project is expected to be completed within two years, depending on the timely release of funds.

Soroti District is among the 10 new cities created by Parliament in the 2021/2022 financial year. Due to this administrative change, district offices must relocate to a new site to allow the city administration to operate independently, as two administrative units cannot share the same geographical space.

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By Abraham Ekwaru, Communication Officer, Soroti.