FDC to IGG: Probe all road projects
Mr John Kikonyogo addresses the press in Kampala yesterday. He says all road projects should be investigated. Photo by Dominic Bukenya.
What you need to know:
A number of road projects have ben queried in terms of cost and compensation.
KAMPALA- The Inspector General of Government (IGG) should push her investigations beyond the messed up Mukono-Katosi road to other ongoing road projects and those whose contracts are yet to be awarded, opposition Forum for Democratic Change(FDC) has demanded.
Speaking at a media briefing in Kampala yesterday, FDC spokesperson John Kikonyogo said the party fully supports the IGG’s move on the Mukono-Katosi road project but demanded her office investigates all ongoing road projects.
“We support the IGG’s call to retender the Mukono-Katosi road contract but she should start to investigate other road projects under works and those which are due. We should not allow ‘mafias’ to steal public resources because we need the infrastructure,” Mr Kikonyogo said before adding “If the Katosi road project is left to go on, it will set a wrong precedent and ‘mafias’ will use it as an opportunity to defraud government in the future.”
FDC also commended the IGG for what they said is a good job done and urged her to leave no stone unturned in her investigation even if it means losing the Shs24.8b already spent on the project.
When the 74km Mukono-Kyetume-Katosi/Kisoga-Nyenga road scandal broke, IGG Mulyagonja ordered Chongoino International Construction Company (CICO) to halt works on the road and ordered fresh retendering of works in which CICO would be excluded.
She premised her argument on the fact that CICO was a subject of police investigation over suspicion that it could have colluded with Eutaw to defraud government.
But the Attorney General Peter Nyombi argued against her order pointing out that mere suspicion against CICO could not imply that the Chinese firm was party to the commission of a crime.
When contacted yesterday about the demand by FDC,
Ms Munira Ali, the IGG spokesperson, said: “We shall continue to investigate corruption and maladministration in public offices because that is our mandate.”
When contacted yesterday about the demand by FDC, the Ms Munira Ali, the IGG spokesperson, said “we shall continue to investigate corruption and maladministration in public offices because that is our mandate.”
In February this year, the Uganda Road Fund withheld about Shs400m meant for road maintenance in Masaka and Gulu districts after the respective accounting officers of the districts failed to account for an earlier release.
OTHER QUERIED ROAD WORKS
A number of road projects have been hit by corruption allegations in the past, for example, the Mbarara-Katuna road, whose cost was queried for exceeding that of Katuna-Kigali section by 350,000 Euros per kilometer of tarmac. Others include the Kampala-Entebbe Express Highway over corruption in compensation of people and the Kigumba-Kyenjojo road, which allegations indicate mismanagement compensations.
