KCCA queries slow road works

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The government has faulted contractors China State Construction and Engineering Corporation Ltd- CSCEC and Sterling Construction Company for the slow construction works on city roads.

Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA contracted the two companies to construct five roads in Kampala under the World Bank-funded Kampala Institutional Infrastructure Development Project. The roads are the 6km Kulambiro ring to Najeera link, 2km of John Babiiha (Acacia) road and 3km of Nakawa-Ntinda road.

The others are the 9km of Kabusu-Bunamwaya-Lweza road and 8km of Lukuli-Nanganda road.

However, KCCA says the contractors have been slow due to lack of equipment despite the contractor indicating that it had all the equipment required.

According to plan, the roads were supposed to have been completed last year in December 2019 but works have dragged on.

KCCA deputy executive director Eng. David Luyimbazi Ssali, the Director of Engineering and Technical Services Eng. Andrew Kitaka, the contractor and the consultant UB Consultants Company on Friday made a tour of the works and noticed the slow progress.

Reports filed by the consultants indicate that top managers from CSCEC were off-site for over four months from September last year without any justifiable reason.

Luyimbazi asked the contract manager for an explanation but in vain. He noted that the absenteeism coupled with poor mobilization of equipment could have affected the progress of works significantly.

In December 2019, works resumed but in March 2020, a lockdown was imposed due to COVID 19 which further affected the project.

The CSCEC structural engineer Moses Gimeyi also cited heavy rains as a barrier and heavy traffic especially on John Babiiha Avenue and Nakawa-Ntinda road that have affected the progress of construction works.

The contractors have now been given until December 31st 2020 to have completed substantial works like fixing the drainage, pavements and the walkways.

Eng. Luyimbazi tasked the contractor to submit an action plan to KCCA by Monday indicating how they plan to achieve that.

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