The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The joint venture between Roko Construction Limited and Roko Construction (Rwanda) Ltd has resumed construction works for the New Parliament Chamber.
Though only a few workers were on the site around 2 pm yesterday, the resumption of works come four months after the Parliamentary Commission asked that works are halted pending approval to contract changes for the project.
The Commission wanted an additional floor to accommodate a museum and increase sitting capacity in the chamber from 500 to 600 seats for legislators. The new chamber will now thereby have 8 floors and 600 seats.
Therefore, since June, the new chamber site works have been in limbo pending the approval of the contract which was made by the Solicitor General on 26th September, 2019.
The Acting Director Communications and Public Affairs, Hellen Nanteza Kaweesa told Uganda Radio Network-URN that Roko is resuming work because the Solicitor General, Francis Atoke, has approved alterations to the contract for the three year project.
Other sources say that following Atoke’s approval, the Clerk to Parliament, Jane Kibirige and the Procurement and Disposal Unit last Friday agreed and instructed Roko that works should resume on Monday, October 28.
Atoke approved the contract amendment upon the request of the Parliamentary Commission. The commission made the request after the Contracts Committee chaired by the Director Library Services, Innocent Rugambwa approved the contract amendment.
The Contracts Committee noted that the alterations will cost an additional shillings 26 billion inclusive of Value Added Tax, and therefore the overall cost of the project will be shillings 206 billion, up from the initial shillings 179.8 billion.
The committee approved the changes because they present a 14.57 percent increase in the project cost , which are in line with the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) Regulations, 2014.
The Regulations provide that “a single contract amendment shall not increase the total contract price by more than 15 percent of the original contract price.”
The regulations also provide that a contract amendment should only be issued to a provider with commitment of the fulfillment of funding of the amended contract price over the required period of the revised contract with approval from the contracts committee and other concerned bodies including the Attorney General.
Kaweesa now says that a new work plan is still being discussed so as to set targets for the three year project.
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