Army to commercialise its engineering brigade

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces has embarked on an ambitious plan to commercialise its engineering brigade and compete for construction tenders with private contractors.

The Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, while commissioning senior army officers’ flats at the 4th Division headquarters in Gulu on Saturday, said the move will enable the army to help end poor workmanship among some contractors who bid for government projects.

“Our way forward with construction is to continue building barracks, but part of our engineers will be commercialised to bid like any other contractor,” Gen. Aronda said.

Strategic plan
The army in 2007 started renovating 162 flats at the 4th Division headquarters, costing the Force Shs4.7 billion.
The commander of the engineering brigade, Brig. Gen. Timothy Sabiiti Mutebile, said in a separate interview that the renovation was in line with the Ministry of Defence’s strategic plan, which he said aims at improving structures in the army barracks countrywide to wipe out mama ingia pole huts that have been synonymous with the UPDF.
However, he decried financial shortfall, saying it is derailing the project.

“We need about Shs150 billion annually for constructing housing units for our soldiers, but we only get Shs24 billion,” he said.

Gen. Aronda, however, said the Defence Ministry would get more funds from the central government to construct more decent accommodation for the 4th Division soldiers.

He said the army’s effort in flushing out LRA rebels has heightened the need to improve their welfare.