By Our Reporter
Volunteer Uganda Extra, a duly incorporated body with the mandate of a mandate of fighting corruption, protecting human rights, and ensuring transparency and accountability of public funds, has raised concern over the ongoing road works in Lwengo town council.
The organization claims that the road works have caused disturbance to the residents. The organization has since written to the district leaders to be granted access to information regarding the body contracted to construct these roads to ascertain whether there is a safety and compliance officer onboard.
”That particular interest has been mentioned of the road works stretching from the Boda Boda stage through Kids Care Primary School then NIRA offices and Banabas,” reads a letter to Lwengo Town Clerk, Mr Nsereko Moses Ssebuliba.
The Organization adds; ”We found out that most people’s activities and homes have been affected and as an organization we seek clarity as to;
- Who is funding this project?
- Who is responsible for contracting the said contractor?
- What is the time frame of the ongoing Road works (start date and end date)?
- How many technical persons/engineers are involved in the Project (Names)?
- At what cost is the whole project?
- Was there prior Notification of the ongoing Road works currently affecting the Residents?
- Was there a written consent with those affected by the Road works?
- Was there Compensation given/ allocated to those affected by the project?”
The organization says that there are deep trenches dug in residential areas without safety measures put in place to avoid cases of injury or loss of life and as a result, the organization wishes to know;
”Who the safety and compliance officer is in the ongoing project?, Is the Town Council aware of the ongoing road works and the shortcomings it has on the residents?”
The organization’s legal team says however that the above letter issued on 18th September 2023 has to date not yielded any positive result since they have never been given access to the information they requested.
They say that in response to their letter, the Town Clerk informed them that the contractor MELTC refused to release the requested information.
”I received a request from Volunteer Uganda Extra Ltd. P.O Box 50, Masaka regarding the ongoing Road project in Lwengo Town Council. The requested information is in the appended letter. Kindly provide that information to this office to enable me to reply. Your response will salvage the situation,” reads Town Clerk’s letter to the Contractor.
After failure to get the information, Town Clerk responded to Volunteer Uganda Extra’s letter stating thus; ”I received your request dated 18th September 2023 on 19th Sept 2023 and on 29th September 2023, I wrote to the Operations Manager MELTC requesting for the same information to enable me to reply adequately, but to date, nothing has been delivered to my office.”
Now, according to the organization, the above shows that there are some hidden deals behind this road project, thus requesting the concerned agencies like the State House Anti Corruption Unit to intervene and investigate the matter.
Others petitioned are; Minister of Works Katumba Wamala, Auditor General and Inspector General of Government (IGG).
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