Leaders demand probe over Ibanda market that collapsed under construction

Local leaders and residents of Nyamareebe Sub-county in Ibanda District have demanded an investigation into the collapse of Nyamareebe Market which was still under construction.

The market projected to cost Shs29million collapsed on June 14, a week after it was roofed by the contractor, Jotara Uganda Limited.

“There was heavy overnight rainfall in the area but we suspect an element of shoddy work that needs to be investigated,” the sub-county Chairperson, Mr Gideon Bishanga said.

He added: “The district authorities are the ones that awarded this tender although the money used for construction is for the sub county.”

Area businessman Mr James Barungi urged immediate investigations prior to resumption of construction at the collapsed facility.

“We were happy that the market was getting completed and would improve our incomes as well as revenue for the sub-county to undertake other sector programs like health and education,” he observed.

When contacted, Ibanda District engineer Mr Mishaki Ayebazibwe entirely blamed the collapse of the building on heavy rains.

“There was nothing like shoddy work on that market, it was regularly supervised. It was a super structure but it was because of heavy rainfall that we have no control over,” he noted.

Mr Bishanga dismissed what he described as an excuse saying that “there was no other facility affected in the area apart from the market.”

Red flag

The allegations of shoddy works fall as a red flag to a district recently announced as the best performing local government in Uganda- beating 153 others in service delivery performance with 82 points in the Local Government Management of Service Delivery Assessment 2020-2021. It attained a similar position in the financial year 2019-2020.