Assessing the effectiveness of road infrastructure rehabilitation and management, a case study of Soroti district

Abstract

This study assessed the effectiveness of Road Infrastructure Rehabilitation and Management in Soroti district. The study was guided by three objectives which included examining the current state/condition of road infrastructures, factors affecting effective rehabilitation and management of road infrastructures and strategies to improve rehabilitation and management of road infrastructures. The study used descriptive survey research design and considered both qualitative and quantitative approaches with a sample size of 86 respondents. Data was collected using questionnaires and interview guide. The study revealed that the condition of road infrastructure in Soroti district was not good, most roads were not tarmacked, and roads had developed irregularities with bowing road floors, cracks, potholes and blocked drainages, dusty in dry seasons and slippery in the rainy seasons. Most roads had lost road shape; some had no walkways and road signs. It was revealed that Soroti didn‟t have enough funds to carry out road rehabilitation and management. There was embezzlement of funds, poor road maintenance culture, poor road supervision & monitoring, lack of road rehabilitation prioritization, lack of skilled man power, political interferences in road management, indiscipline & ignorance of road users. There is need for the central government to increase funding to Soroti local government, consideration of Public Private Partnerships, having strong internal controls, sensitizing and educating on road usage as a way of reducing the rate of road deterioration. The findings of this study will inform stakeholders, leadership and management of Soroti district about the status of roads in the district. It will also inform the government on the challenges affecting effective road infrastructure rehabilitation and management, to help them come up with policies and frameworks that will eliminate such challenges. It also will generate more possible strategies to improve rehabilitation and management of road infrastructures.