The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kalungu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Ahmed Nyombi Mukiibi, the Kalungu district LCV chairperson has petitioned the Inspectorate of Government-IG to investigate the construction of the Lwera roadside market in Lukaya town council.
Nyombi is concerned that the Shillings 3.75 billion market has been boycotted by the targeted vendors citing poor workmanship by the contractor.
In 2018, the government through the Ministry of Works and Transport undertook to remodel the market such that it can be utilized by hundreds of roadside vendors who are operating from makeshift structures in Lukaya town council.
The project was executed by Sumadhura Technologies Limited, which eventually handed over the market in February this year. But Nyombi argues that there is no value for money, and the facility has remained underutilized following the vendors’ refusal to occupy the stalls and lockups.
He explains that the contractor was supposed to remodel and improve the existing stalls by rising the floor to prevent flooding during the rainy season. Mukiibi says that to his disappointment, the problem has persisted despite the huge investment into the project.
Earlier in 2011, the government through UGX 1.9 billion grant from the Lake Victoria Management Project-LAVEMP worked on the same market by constructing permanent stalls and lockups that were rejected by vendors over flooding.
Nyombi wants the Inspectorate of Government to scrutinize the project works and the process under which the contract was awarded, saying that there is a likelihood of embezzlement of part of the funds.
He says that it is also high time that the local governments are allowed to fully participate in the process of awarding contracts for projects that are executed in their areas to empower local leaders to hold the contractors accountable.
Moses Ssentuuro, one of the roadside fish vendors in Lwera says that the contractors did not carry out thorough consultations before undertaking the project works. He explains that besides the market being constructed in a low lying area which floods whenever it rains, the contractor constructed very small stalls and lockups.
Ssentuuro says the majority of the vendors have preferred staying in their makeshift stalls rather than relocating to the new market. Charles Tamale, the Lukaya town council chairperson says the petition is reasonable and may awaken the Ministry of Works to order the contractor to fix the gaps.
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