Mbale city council on the spot over street parking tender

Mbale, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | There is a bitter row between Mbale City Council and Central Investments Agency Limited, which has been collecting the street parking fees. The dispute started on Friday last week when Mbale City Council signed an 8-month contract with Nalu Tours and Travels Limited to collect street parking fees.

It followed the successful completion of the bidding process that started in August last year when the authorities invited bids from interested parties. A number of companies including Central Investments Agency Limited, Global Investments Limited, Bangoma Investments, Nalu tours and Travels and Joslious Investments submitted their bids. In November 2021, Nalu Tours and Travels won the contract.

“This is to inform you that your bid has been detailed below has been accepted. A written contract is being drafted and shall be forwarded for your signature as soon as it is ready,” a letter dated 04th November 2021 from the City Clerk to Nalu Tours and Travels Limited reads in part. Nalu Tour and Travel Limited were supposed to sign the contract with the city authorities in the same month and commence work on November 15th, 2021.

However, its rivals including Central Investments Agency Limited and Global Investments Limited dragged the city council to the High court. They asked the court to halt the process and accused Nalu tours limited of forging the powers of attorney that they presented during the bidding leading to the award of the contract.

They also argued that the company originates from another district. Despite this, the Mbale city council officially handed over the contract to Nalu Tour and Travel limited on Friday to start collecting the street parking fees.

However, Central Investments Agency Limited has continued collecting the street parking fees despite the expiry of their contract. Muhammad Wafuba, the Managing Director of Central Investments Limited, faults the city clerk David Kyansanku who worked in Jinja where Nalu Tours and Travels Investments emanates of bias.

He claims that Kyasanku threw out their bidding documents claiming that they had failed to include the curriculum vitae of their manager. Wafuba however says that they are going nowhere. “We complain about the town clerk who brought his Nalu company from Jinja with forged documents for the bidding process and wants to push us out. But we are saying No,” Wafuba noted.

He said that they can’t allow someone with forged documents to work and leave them out. He explained that they asked for an administrative review of the contracts in vain prompting them to petition the PPDA tribunal.

Mbale Resident City Commissioner, Ahamada Washaki says that his assessment shows that Nalu Tours and Travels Investments didn’t qualify because the applicants lacked the power of attorney. He suspects foul play in the procurement process leading to the procurement of an incompetent firm.

Uganda Radio Network has learnt that Central Investments Agency Limited is indebted to the council to the tune of Shillings 240million.

James Kutosi, the Mbale City Public Relations Officer told Uganda Radio Network the failure by Central investments to remit this money is one of the reasons they lost the contract.

Robert Kamya Luzze, the managing Director of Nalu Tour & Travels Limited accuses some city officials of conniving with the old contractor to fight his company.

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