Yumbe refugee projects stall over lack of funds

Yumbe.

Three projects being implemented under the Refugee and Host Population for Empowerment (ReHoPE) project in Yumbe District have stalled due to lack of funds.
ReHoPE is a project that supports refugees and the host communities in Yumbe District, with funding from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
At least Shs3.3b was released by UNHCR to fund the 15 projects in the first phase of the programme.
Mr Bernard Ayimani, the Yumbe District engineer, told Daily Monitor on Tuesday that 15 projects, mainly infrastructural development, were designed in the first phase but construction works on some of them, specifically theatres at three health centres, have stalled due to lack of funds.
“The remaining [12] projects have been planned for completion this financial year because the designs were bigger, which couldn’t be completed using the previous budget. They are awaiting commissioning,” he said.
The incomplete three projects are theatres at Yumbe Health Centre IV, Barakala Health Centre III and Ariwa Health Centre III.
Mr Ayimani said although some of the projects such as construction of classroom blocks have been completed, the laboratory equipment, furniture and other necessities are to be catered for in the next budget.
Recently, the Aringa South MP, Mr Sunday Alioni Yorke Odria, during the launch of Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project (DRDIP) in Yumbe District, alleged that there has been a mess in the implementation of the ReHoPE projects characterised by shoddy works, especially the projects in Aringa constituency.
Mr Yassin Taban, the district chairperson, said: “Since this is a three-year project, we are hopeful that UNHCR will continue funding the projects for the remaining two years. In our planning cycle, we have already planned for the completion of the remaining projects (theatres) in 2018/2019 financial year but we are waiting for funds from UNHCR.”
Mr Robert Baryamwesiga, the settlement commandant in the Office of the Prime Minister, who is charged with the monitoring of the projects, said they are still mobilising funds to complete the projects.
“There is no project that will remain incomplete. A resource mobilisation drive will continue until we complete every project that we committed implementing,” he said.