Bugiri district engineer arrested over shoddy road works

Bugiri, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Bugiri District Engineer, Godfrey Baliraine has been arrested over shoddy road works.  Baliraine is currently detained at the Bugiri central police station.

His arrest follows Thursday’s assessment of the One Billion Shillings that was allocated for the rehabilitation of dilapidated roads in Bugiri district.

During the assessment, it was discovered that funds were never included in this financial year’s work plan.

This prompted members of the district security committee to inspect the ongoing roads, where it was further discovered that roads lacked drainage systems.

Assistant Resident District Commissioner Bugiri, Gilbert Situma said that Baliraine looked on as undersized culverts were installed in big drainage channels, causing roads to collapse before commissioning.

Situma noted that the roads were never graded with murrum, as it had been stipulated in the bills of quantities.

Bugiri LCV Chairperson, David Mulumba says that most roads are dilapidated and they resolved to grade them without murrum in a bid to cover a bigger road network using the meager funds available.

Mulumba further said that 70 percent of the roads in Bugiri district are covered in wetlands and they require special government financing to purchase big-sized culverts.

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