By Our Reporter
Yesterday, the ONC Coordinators of Greater Masaka including Abaho Badru (Head of Media Greater Masaka) Namisango Harriet (Kalangala) Nakakande Ashurah (Sembabule), Lukonge Emmanuel (Bazzukulu), Namugera Rodgers (Kyotera) and Kato Nsaso (Bukomansimbi) embarked on monitoring/inspecting road works under Works and Transport Rehabilitation Grant in Kalangala District.
Following the outcry of the public over poor roads in Kalangala District,ONC coordinators intervened in this matter and during the site inspection and monitoring, the District had planned to rehabilitate 10 roads for the Financial Year 2023/4.
In the very last quarter of this Financial Year, the District had only worked on one road which is 40% done. Contrary to national guidelines, the Grant was meant to rehabilitate the already created road, but District influenced by Area Members of Parliament diverted the funds to create a new Semawundo-Lulindi 6.5Km Road.
Even when the Government had already disbursed 500M under this Grant and the District had two road units, the District had utilized 110M on this halfway 6.5 km Road, 9.8M to service the equipment and the whereabouts of the balance was not clear.
The equipment had been deployed at the site for nearly 8 months, fueled and workers paid, even the first activity of bush clearing costing more than Ugx 22M was not fully done and canopy control as claimed done wasn’t applicable since there were no trees/forest which left the ONC team worried about the value for money. The District Engineer sighted disturbances by rain and stoppage by Kyamuswa Area MP from relocating the equipment to new sites, responding to ONC team as to why he had not worked on other roads.
When ONC Coordinator Sembabule District-Ms Nakakande Ashurah asked the District Engineer-Eng Yiga Francis the accountability and the balance of over Ugx 380M was, he wasn’t sure, claiming that he was two months old in office. And the Chief Administrative officer-Mr Semwogerere Fredrick who became bitter after failing to account for these funds and from the whistleblower who reliably told ONC team how the money was withdrawn.
When the ONC Coordinator Kyotera District-Mr Namugera Rodgers asked for work plan, the CAO and the District Engineer never had the work plan to work on the remaining roads which showed the unwillingness of these civil servants to push the development agenda of the District and Nation at large even when the government releases funds and the District has two road units.
In addition, Bukomansimbi District Coordinator Kato Nsaso asked for the BOQs, but both CAO and the District Engineer failed to present them neither accountability which left the ONC team suspicious about the mode of operation of these civil servants.
“We have been challenged by rainfall and delay of UNRA to ferry the equipment to the work site,” the District Engineer responded when asked by ONC Coordinator Ms Namisango Harriet why they had not delivered.
The ONC Coordinator Lukonge Emmanuel asked both the CAO and the District Engineer to vacate the office if they are not willing to work for the people of Uganda.
The Head of ONC Media Greater Masaka-Mr Abaho Badru asked the CAO to account for the money given to him and the present the work plan at least by Tuesday 16th April.
