Broken street lights raise security concerns in Kitgum municipality

More than 30 street lights in Kitgum Municipality are currently not functioning, raising concerns among residents and local leaders about safety and nighttime movement within the town.

Municipal authorities say the faulty lights are part of a wider street lighting system installed along major roads and public spaces to improve security, support evening business activities, and enhance the appearance of the municipality.

However, technical faults, vandalism, and limited maintenance funding have left several of the lights out of service.

The Mayor of Kitgum Municipality, Richard Okwera Ojara, confirmed that the municipality had earlier recorded close to 50 non-functional street lights across different parts of the town.

He said the municipal technical team has so far repaired about 20 of them, but at least 35 lights remain faulty.

“We are aware of the problem and our technical team has already restored a number of the lights,” Ojara said. “The remaining ones will be repaired once the municipality secures additional funds. Street lighting is very important for improving security and maintaining the beauty of our municipality.”

According to the mayor, the municipality has so far installed about 558 street lights along major streets and public areas.

Since their installation, the lights have helped improve night visibility, boosted business activity during evening hours, and enhanced safety for pedestrians and motorists.

Kitgum Municipal Civil Engineer, Alexis Abonga, said the engineering department recently carried out an assessment which revealed that several solar-powered street lights had either been vandalised or developed technical faults.

“We estimated a budget of about Shs30 million to restore the damaged solar street lights,” Abonga said. “Due to financial limitations, we have so far managed to repair only 20 units. The remaining lights will be repaired gradually in the coming financial periods.”

He explained that repairing a single solar street light cost about shs1.3 million, which makes it difficult for the municipality to fix all the faulty units at once.

Abonga also urged the public to help protect the infrastructure from vandalism. “These lights are meant to serve the public, but vandalism increases the cost of maintenance. We ask residents to remain vigilant and report anyone tampering with the equipment,” he added.

A local shopkeeper in Kitgum town, Sarah Akello, said poor lighting has affected some businesses, adding that the dark spots created by the broken lights have increased fear among people moving at night.

“When the lights were working well, customers could come even at night without fear,” Akello said. “But now some streets are dark again, and many people prefer to close early because they are worried about security.”

Peter Odoch, a boda boda rider within Kitgum municipality, said the broken lights have created opportunities for criminals.

“Some areas have become very dark and this worries us,” Odoch said. “We appeal to the municipality to repair the remaining lights quickly because they help protect both residents and businesses.”

Kitgum Municipality is among the urban centers benefiting from the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) Program, a government initiative supported by development partners to improve urban infrastructure in municipalities across Uganda.

Under the program, several roads in Kitgum town were upgraded, and the installation of solar-powered street lights was included as a key component of the road construction projects.

The street lights were intended to enhance urban mobility, strengthen security, and promote economic activity by enabling businesses to operate safely during evening hours.

The project has significantly improved the outlook of the municipality and increased nighttime visibility in many areas. However, authorities say continued maintenance and community protection of the infrastructure are essential to ensure the long-term benefits of the investment.

Municipal leaders have therefore appealed to residents to remain patient as the council mobilises funds to repair the remaining faulty lights and restore full lighting coverage across the town.