Anger after Ntungamo spends over Shs100m on ghost water facilities

Ntungamo leaders have expressed concern over ghost water facilities in the district. The facilities, which are mainly boreholes and protected water springs, were reported by the water department to have been constructed but found nowhere in monitoring exercise.

There are also two rainwater harvesting tanks mentioned in the report.

According to district chairperson Samuel Mucunguzi Rwakigoba, an audit report made early this year showed 17 Boreholes and at least 20 protected springs reported to have been either constructed or repaired in several areas in the district, could not be located anywhere following a spot inspection.

“We followed up the reports and to our dismay, most facilities in reports were not there. We had spent Shs50million on boreholes and at least Shs45million on water tanks but all these do not exist. Protected water springs are also missing,” Mucunguzi told Monitor.

He said increasing corruption at the district is lowering service delivery and hurting citizens.

“The challenge is we are put in offices to deliver to the people, but look, the people who must deliver to the final person are eating everything, and unfortunately we have some politicians supporting them,” Mucunguzi remarked.

Ntungamo Sub-county councillor Naboth Mpireirwe presented a document to the council sitting on Monday indicating that there was wastage of finances in the water department where over Shs35million was allegedly swindled in unexplained circumstances.

“The money that should be making these facilities has been eaten by officers here. As we cry over missing boreholes, there is a lot of money being wasted, swindled and when we cry out no one listens,” Mpireirwe said at the district council hall.

Ntungamo District Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Mathias Ndifuna says the Inspectorate of Government has taken up investigations into the missing water facilities.

“They are now beyond the district, and we are simply waiting for the conclusion of investigations by the IGG,” Ndifuna emphasized.

But Mpireirwe further claimed that officers involved in the mess have capacity to bribe IGG officials to fail investigations.

Last year, deputy IGG Ann Muheirwe ordered the acting district water officer to reconstruct a water tank in Rwebireree, Ngoma Sub- County. The water officer was accused of diverted it to a different location leading to the IGG directive.Meanwhile, Muheirwe also ordered the interdiction of four district officials involved.  

At the beginning of 2023, over 40 ghost health facilities including 12 health centre IIIs were also discovered on the Ntungamo District wage bill by officials of the State House health monitoring unit.