Fort Portal to lose USMID funds due to corruption

Infrastructure. The 0.944 kilometre Nyakana-Kagote Road in Fort Portal Town that has been completed under the USMID programme. The road has boosted business around Fort Portal Town. PHOTO BY ALEX ASHABA

What you need to know:

  • Justification. Poor accountability and alleged corruption have been blamed for the suspension of the funds.
  • Part of the money would be used to install solar street lighting, for urban solid waste management, drainage and storm water control, and the construction works of Kabundeire Farmers’ Market.

Fort Portal Municipal Council is set to miss out on additional funding from the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) project due to poor accountability of funds, the Public Procurement and Disposal of public assets Authority (PPDA), has said.

The accountability and alleged corruption took centre stage on Friday during a tribunal hearing by the inter-governmental agency forum to fight graft.

The forum that brings together all organs of government that fight corruption in the country was chaired by the State minister for Ethics and Integrity, Rev Fr Simon Lokodo, and comprised other organs such as State House anti-corruption team, Inspectorate of Government, PPDA, public prosecution and Police local government fraud.

“Fort Portal municipal council will miss out on the USMID funds for about two financial years due to poor accountability of the funds disbursed to them in the previous years and USMID is one of the key projects of the World Bank that when mishandled can close other taps of funding, ” Ms Lydia Kwesiga, the regional manager PPDA, said.
Under the USMID programme, Fort Portal Municipality has so far received about Shs13.6b over the five-year period.

The municipality was expected to receive additional funding of Shs25.4b over a five-year period from 2018/2019 to 2022/2023 financial years.
The Shs25.4b additional funding was meant to improve about 15kms of roads that include Kahungabunyonyi Road, Rwengoma Road, Kagote Road, and Kuku-Karamaga Road.

Part of the money would be used to install solar street lighting, for urban solid waste management, drainage and storm water control, and the construction works of Kabundeire Farmers’ Market.

With the Shs13.6b the municipality was able to rehabilitate and construct new roads such as Nyakana-Kagote Road, Market Road, Access Road, and Rukidi III Street.

There was also installation of 58 solar street lights, and the construction works of Mugunu Lorry Park with 3,454 square metres of parking space.
Previously, Fort Portal missed out on the funds for the 2016/2017 Financial Year for alleged failure to meet the minimum requirements.

It also had challenges with procurement of contractors, disagreements between the technical staff and political leaders, and failure to account for the funds disbursed in the 2015/2016 Financial Year to the municipality.
Recently Fort Portal municipality was elevated to a city status among the first five cities to be operational in July 2020.

However, the Resident District Commissioner, Mr Steven Asiimwe, observed that corruption and infighting may slow the pace of development.

About USMID project

USMID is a five-year World Bank funded-project aimed at enhancing institutional performance and improving urban service delivery. It is being implemented by the ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development.

It commenced in 2013/2014 and will end in 2018/2019. The project came into force after the World Bank Board of executive directors approved an International Development Association (IDA) credit of US$150 million to finance urban infrastructure and improve service delivery in 14 municipalities in Uganda.