Bukwo officials flee as minister unearths rot in govt projects
State Minister for Economic Monitoring Peter Ogwang (3rd right) inspects the Suam cattle market office in Suam Town Council, Bukwo District, which was built at Shs17m. Photo / Yahudu Kitunzi
What you need to know:
- Some of the ghost projects include Lamaywet community access road in Suam Sub-county, which cost Shs61m, and Suam community access road in Suam Sub-county, which cost 60m.
The State minister for Economic Monitoring in the Office of the President, Mr Peter Ogwang, has unearthed numerous ghost projects in Bukwo District that led to loss of taxpayers’ money.
Mr Ogwang discovered that such projects, though they existed on paper, could not be traced on the ground.
Other buildings at health centres and schools were built but the cost was inflated.
Some of the ghost projects include Lamaywet community access road in Suam Sub-county, which cost Shs61m, and Suam community access road in Suam Sub-county, which cost 60m.
Kongta mini irrigation project in Bukwo Sub-county (Shs49m), Green valley mini irrigation scheme in Amanang Sub-county (Shs50m). Mokoywet mini irrigation scheme in Amanang Sub-county (Shs57m) and Brim mini irrigation scheme in Riwo Sub-county (Shs61m), were among the non-existent projects.
Mr Ogwang also discovered that most of the projects are incomplete and of poor standard.
The minister, while addressing the locals at Suam Town Council in Bukwo District on Monday, blamed poor service delivery on corrupt civil servants.
“The corrupt civil servants created ghost projects to enrich themselves. This is very unfortunate but as a government, we are working to put everything right,” Mr Ogwang said.
Some of the district officials accused of superintending over the ghost projects are Mr Jonah Chewere, the NUSAF desk officer; Mr Swaibu Balaba, the chief administrative officer; and Mr Andrew Bukose, the chief financial officer.
Most of the officials fled the district headquarters when news trickled in that the minister was inspecting the government projects.
However, during an earlier interview, Mr Chewere, the NUSAF Desk officer, denied knowledge of any ghost projects in the district.
“Generally we don’t have any ghost project, we don’t have not even one but it’s just that the RDC is moving at terrible speed without seeking clarifications,” he said.
Mr Bukose, who was also arrested, said allegations levelled against him are false.
“There was no money lost and there is nothing that disappeared. The people just have to know how Nusaf works,” Mr Bukose said.
The minister also discovered that the officials constructed the cattle market in Suam Town council at Shs17.5 million using mud and also roofed it with old iron sheets.
He also discovered that Okongasis road that connects Suam Town Council to Kitale in Kenya was allocated Shs300 million but it was not worked on yet the money was spent.
Mr Emmanuel Sukuku, the chairperson of Suam Town Council, said there is a need to revamp the entire civil service in the district.
The Bukwo Resident District Commissioner, Mr Samuel Mpimpaza Hashaka, said the decision by the district officials to flee only worsens matters, adding that the law will catch up with them. “Let all the corrupt officials resign or handover themselves to a nearby police before we can arrest them,” the RDC said.
Last week, Local Government minister Rapheal Magyezi, relieved Mr Balaba, the chief administrative officer, of his duties and asked him to report to the ministry for further instructions.
The minister noted that Balaba has fallen short of his responsibilities as CAO.
Mr Julius Moses Chelimo, the district chairperson, said: “Whenever we would report corruption cases to the police, the files would disappear, which demoralised me.”
Mr Balaba, who was arrested on orders of Mr Ogwang on allegations of corruption, also denied allegations of ghost projects in the district. “We have no ghost projects. They are not yet complete. We are working on them,” he said.
