Govt spent Shs1.14b on ghost projects in Wakiso
Government officials inspect Nakitokoro Health Centre in Wakiso District on May 10, 2022. PHOTO/SYLIVIA KATUSHABE
What you need to know:
- A number of projects are substandard while others are non-existent yet they were accounted for.
The State Minister for Economic Monitoring in the Office of the President, Mr Peter Ogwang, has grilled Wakiso District officials over ghost and substandard projects in the area.
While visiting Namayumba Sub-country on Wednesday, a team from the offices of the President and the prime minister, found that some projects that had been accounted for were nonexistent.
Among these included a borehole in Bulyaana Village, Bemba Parish where government spent Shs3m on rehabilitation.
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Residents told the officials that they have challenges in accessing clean water but no borehole has been built in the area.
The Minister in-charge of General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister, Ms Justine Kasule Lumumba, said the joint operation is meant to ensure effective service delivery in the country.
“If we were sending money and the taxpayers money is being embezzled, we shall not sleep any more. We shall be sleeping in the field to know what ever happens in all corners of this country,” Ms Lumumba said.
The officials also established that there was substandard work in the upgrading of Nakitokoro Health Centre III and construction of two staff quarters costing Shs637m.
Also the construction of St Mathias Bananywa Primary School whose work was completed two years ago was not up to standard.
For construction of Namayumba Town Council hall, which is still ongoing, government had budgeted Shs500m but the team said the project was not worth the Shs57m that has reportedly been spent so far. The team recommended the arrest and invetsigation of the town clerk.
Minister Ogwang said the district engineer, Ms Lilian Namutebi, should also be investigated in regard to the missing funds and substandard work that has left the health centre block with cracks even before being commissioned.
“I am not satisfied with the work, why should a government project develop cracks within two years?” Mr Ogwang wondered.
He accused the district engineer of negligence and incompetence.
“You are a professional engineer, why is it like this? Is it that government facilities must look like that?” Ogwang asked.
The district engineer, Ms Namutebi, said they identified the defects but they were not corrected.
“At what time do you people love your country? Do you know that we have buildings which were constructed during the colonial time which are much more stronger than the ones of today?’’ Ogwang asked.
Mr Ogwang called for an engineering audit to assess value for money spent on government projects.
He blamed the lack of services in the district on impunity and swindling resources by government officials.
The minister advised civil servants to either do the right thing or be fired.
“You can no longer run or pass us, you either do the right thing or get out. It has reached a level when the revolution must get to a secondary part, we have to know which penny has done what and we are ready to do it,” he warned.
