ROADS: Total chaos at KCCA Council – Contractors meeting

Invited contractors’ representatives present questionable IDs

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Chaos engulfed a Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA Council meeting at City Hall on Thursday after invited road construction contractors presented documents that couldn’t clearly identify them.

Council Speaker Zahra Luyirika had invited contractors of the roads to be constructed with funding from the African Development Bank-ADB to discuss their contracts. The discussion was to include contractors for roads funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency-JICA and the Kampala Institutional and Infrastructure Development Projects-KIID 2 that were recently completed.

The meeting date had been decided at the previous February sitting after the technical staff at KCCA said they couldn’t avail to Council copies of contracts entered with the contractor for fear of infringing on the privacy of the parties in the contracts. The council had demanded for the contracts after queries emerged that figures had been inflated and that there were unfavorable terms that could cost KCCA.

On Thursday afternoon, the Deputy Executive Director Engineer David Luyimbazi Ssali attended council together with a team of contractors from three companies. They included Kenneth Mandela Natumanya who introduced himself as the Assistant Project Manager of China State Engineering Company contracted to construct among others Muteesa 1 Road, Wamala, Kabega Kayemba and Bulange junction.

Chaos erupted at a KCCA council meeting discussing roads and contracts when councillors fought over contractors' expired IDs, including a Chinese who had an expired Visa. Police attempted to escort the Chinese out, causing the commotion to intensify.#NTVNews pic.twitter.com/vUWYYueleS

— NTV UGANDA (@ntvuganda) March 9, 2023

The others introduced themselves as Geo, a Chief Engineer and Milo Jah both from China Railway 18th Bureau, a company contracted to construct roads such as Suna 1 and 2 and the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th street of the Industrial area. The last one identified himself as Wang from the China Communications Construction Company, Ltd-CCCC for reconstructing Muyenga road, Masiro road, Sentema 1 and 2, Nsambya road and others.

No contracts to show

The discussion started with council asking the Deputy Executive Director Luyimbazi to present the contracts as had been asked in the previous council meeting. After repeated demands, he said that his team was still working to bring the contracts.

The Deputy Lord Mayor Doreen Nyanjura asked Luyimbazi how long it would take for the contracts to be brought to council. More than 20 minutes later, there were still no contract to show.

Earlier,  some documents had been brought to Luyimbazi but later returned. Asked to explain, he said the contracts had been brought in their full form, including the people’s signatures, details they were not comfortable sharing.

When it became apparent that Luyimbazi would not immediately present to council the contracts as signed, the council decided to ask the team from contracting companies to talk about the contracts they secured including if in their opinion, there was something private about them that they couldn’t be fully presented before council.

Contractors talk themselves into trouble

Mandela who had introduced himself as the Assistant Project Manager of China State Engineering Company took the microphone to say that he couldn’t comment on the contracts as it would violate their reporting protocol.

He said that to talk to their clients, they go through the ADB project engineer but not directly as were being asked then. Before he could explain further, council members rose in protest, wondering why they came to council if they couldn’t provide any answers.

Other councilors questioned if these were indeed representatives of the contractors.

It’s then that one of the Councilors Francis Mbaziira proposed that the men present their documents of identification. By this time, the two men from China Railway 18th Bureau had already exited the house when there was heated debate about the tabling of contracts.

Only Mandela from China State Engineering Company and Wang from CCCC were present.

Mandela presented his work ID which indicated that he was a Social Development Manager at the Company, contrary to his earlier introduction as an assistant manager. Wang didn’t have a physical ID, and presented a work permit on his phone which had unfortunately expired. According to the permit, it was valid for two years from 7th September 2020 to 7th September 2022.

This immediately raised questions among Council members who started to shout that impersonators had evaded the council. They accused the Deputy Executive Director Luyimbazi of bringing brokers to hoodwink the house.

The two men representing contractors and Eng Luyimbazi attempted to leave council but were blocked by the councilors. Luyimbazi’s two guards also couldn’t walk him out despite the assistance from two other security personnel also from the Counter Terrorism Unit.

For over 10 minutes, there was chaos in council with members shouting ‘thieves, thieves’ at the top of their voices.

Police emerged and made an attempt to access the council hall, but councilors Including the Deputy Speaker Nasur Masaba and Abdul Chagason blocked the entrance.

The Police officers were thereafter only able to join the audience in the gallery but not the council hall.

Lord Mayor calms the house

Later, the house came to order and the Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago made a statement, urging the councilors to stay calm and the Deputy Executive Eng. Luyimbazi to cooperate and present the contracts for scrutiny by the council.

Folks,let’s take adrive down this road together!This is Kabega road (0.95km) in Makindye https://t.co/3MtwlP1vBH is one of over 33 roads to be upgraded to ‘colas’ under the ⁦@AfDB_Group⁩ funded roads rehabilitation project by ⁦@KCCAUG⁩ . The contractor is on ground! pic.twitter.com/YXFtVubUZg

— Kampala Capital City Authority Spox (@KCCASpox) March 4, 2023

He wondered why they needed to edit the documents instead of presenting them in their original format for the house’s discussion. He said that the conduct of councilors is an indication of the pain they bare and the seriousness of the matter at hand.

Speaker Luyirika  apologized to the representatives of contractors and assured them of their safety while in the house.

The Speaker also instructed the deputy ED Luyimbazi to avail her office with a list of all contractors for the three projects.

When the sitting fully resumed, it was resolved that  Luyimbazi be given another chance to bring all contracts of three projects, the JICA, KIIDP2 and the recent one of the ADB project. Council decided that if he fails to cooperate, a vote of no confidence would be passed against him.

It was also resolved that in the next sitting, the invited contractors or their representatives should present their invitation letters to council and in case of a representatives, come with clear identification and proof of delegation. Also, that Wang, one of the representatives of the contractor be handed over to Department of Immigration and Citizens Control.

Another resolution was that all members of the Public Procurement and Disposal Unit and the Contracts committee of KCCA appear before council in the next sitting to explain how the recent ADB contracts were issued. The next special sitting to discuss the matter shall sit on 30th March 2023.

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URN