KAMPALA — The Ministry of Lands and Urban Development has clarified on media reports, quoting the minister for Economic Monitoring in the Office of the President, Mr Peter Ogwang on World Bank funded projects under the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development that were discovered to be “shoddy work, and “ with an inflated road length”.
Media reports suggested that Mr. Ogwang had discovered also several ghost government projects, cases of collusion and fraudulent dealings in Bunyoro Sub-region including a UGX. 1.2 billion, which government sent for construction of district administration headquarters that was not put to the intended purpose.
The minister had been inspecting implementation of 2020/2021 government projects in Kiryandongo, Masindi, Hoima, and Kikuube districts for the last five days.
He also inspected oil roads and on Kakumiro- Buhimba road, he reportedly questioned the quality and culverts, which were placed wrongly.
However, Mr. Richard Juuko the under secretary in the Ministry of Lands and Urban Development said it is not true that the road kms length was inflated.
He said that during construction, road kilometre measurement for clarity and correctness is done by use of “a walking tape” as opposed to the car odometer as the Hon Minister has been quoted.
“Further to note is the fact that the project road works were based on an admeasurement contract; this means that only measured works were paid. (An Admeasurement Contract means a Contract under which the Works are executed on the basis of agreed rates and prices in a Bill of Quantities and payment is made for the quantity of work actually executed.), ” Juuko said, adding that:
“This can be verified from the contract documents and all the Interim Payment Certificates in the Ministry Offices.”
FULL STATEMENT
Clarification on Media reports, quoting the Hon Minister of State for Economic Monitoring
Our attention has been drawn to Media reports quoting the State Minister for Economic Monitoring, Hon Peter Ogwang, as having said that the 8 gravel roads rehabilitated by the World Bank Funding, under the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development projected “shoddy work, and “an inflated road length”. The Ministry would like to clarify as follows:
1. The World Bank funding through the Albertine Region Sustainable Development Project (ARSDP) – has 3 components. The first Component is implemented by UNRA under the objective of “Regional Connectivity, ” the second component is implemented by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development under the objective “Local Access and Planning” and the Third Component is implemented by the Ministry of Education with the objective of “skilling and upgrading.”
- Upon commencement of the second component, the Ministry Undertook the following activities:
(i) Preparation of Physical Development Plans (PDPs) for 9 growth centres of: Wanseko & Biiso in Buliisa District; Kigorobya and Butema in Hoima District, Kabwoya, Kyaruseisa, Kyangwali, Kiziranfumbi and Buhuka in Kikuube District. These PDPs were completed, and approved by the respective Local Councils and ratified by the National Physical Planning Board. It is these PDPs that the Local Governments are using to plan & ensure an orderly development in their respective areas.
(ii) Preparation of Engineering Design, Environmental and Social Impact Assessments and Tender Documentation for a number of infrastructures as below:
(a) 359.6 km of gravel roads (147.0 km in Hoima, 106.3 km in Buliisa, and 80.3 km in Kikuube District). However, two roads (Wanseko-Ngwedo-21.3 km in Buliisa and Hohwa – Kyaruseisa – Butoole-26km in Hoima) were later absorbed by UNRA for upgrade to tarmac under Critical oil roads project leaving a balance of 312km for implementation under ARSDP-component 2
(b) 11.63 km of roads for upgrade to Tarmac were designed including 9.63 km Buliisa TC and 2.0 km in Butiaba TC
(c) 13 local markets including Wanseko, Buliisa Centra, Ngwedo, Bugoigo, Walukuba, Kalolo, Karakaba and Butiaba in Buliisa District; Kigorobya & Kabale in Hoima District and Kyangwali, Buhuka in Kikube District.
(d) 2 fish landing sites at Runga (Hoima District) and Buhuka in Kikuube District, and 25 fish cages.
(e) 1 animal slaughter house at Buseruka Sub-County in Hoima District.
(iii) Improvement of District Gravel Roads totalling to 150 km, under which a total of 150.31 km (117.64km in Hoima, 29.92km in Buliisa District and 2.75km in Buliisa TC) was rehabilitated (civil works completed in January for Hoima 2021 and March 2021 for Buliisa) and commissioned by the then Hon Minister for Lands, Housing & Urban Development.
(iv) Upgrade of 7 km of Urban Roads in Buliisa TC to tarmac complete with solar street lights, culverts, walkways, and drainages were completed in July 2021. The contractor is currently finalizing works on access roads and the Ministry plans to have these roads commissioned in October 2021.
(v) Construction of 3 Local Markets (Biiso Market in Buliisa, Kabale Market in Hoima and Buhuka Market in Kikuube) is on-going, and expected to be completed by December 8, 2021.
Following the reported field visit by the Hon Peter Ogwang, the Ministry would like to clarify as follows;
1- It is true the project contracted M/S Abubaker Technical Services and General Supplies Ltd to rehabilitate 118.1km of gravel roads in Hoima. This was the original measurement taken by the District Local Government.
Upon completion of works, the final length of the rehabilitated 8 roads was 117.64km; this is contained in the completion reports submitted to government and the World Bank. All the contracted works were completed and the contract is still undergoing DLP- Defects Liability Period until September 30, 2021. Under the Defects Liability Period, all identified technical defects are handled and reworked, so that by the time the period ends, a proper job has been done and this is what is going on at the moment.
2- It is not true that the road kms length was inflated. During construction, road kilometre measurement for clarity and correctness is done by use of “a walking tape” as opposed to the car odometer as the Hon Minister has been quoted.
Further to note is the fact that the project road works were based on an admeasurement contract; this means that only measured works were paid. (An Admeasurement Contract means a Contract under which the Works are executed on the basis of agreed rates and prices in a Bill of Quantities and payment is made for the quantity of work actually executed.) This can be verified from the contract documents and all the Interim Payment Certificates in the Ministry Offices.
The Ministry has been and is still committed to effective and transparent service delivery to the population in line with the NRM Manifesto and the development agenda supported by the government and donors.
The implementation of the ARSDP has been undertaken with holistic involvement of the Local Governments (Districts & Sub-Counties) and the beneficiary communities who have been engaged in monitoring and supervision of the civil works through road user committees. As the project nears closure, the respective Local Governments have been continuously engaged, to ensure a consistent and continuous maintenance of the gravel roads, to keep them to standard.
All further needed information can be provided through the Project Coordinator Mr Emmanuel Kaganzi on Tel 0772603521
Richard Juuko
UNDER SECRETARY- MLHUD
