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Sironko District Engineer, Deputy interdicted over ghost roads

The Budadiri West MP, Mr Nathan Nandala Mafabi (writing), and other area leaders inspect a road district officials claimed to have worked on in Bukhulo Sub-county, Sironko District. PHOTO/YAHUDU KITUNZI

What you need to know:

  • The CAO accuses the interdicted engineers for reporting that  various road works were completed under the Uganda Road Fund programme and yet the works are either not done or they are incomplete.

Authorities in Sironko District have interdicted the district engineer, Mr Andrew Wasukira, and Mr Charles Nasusi, Superintendent of Works, over alleged ghost roads in the area.

According to an interdiction letter dated January 14, 2025, and signed by the Chief Administrative Officer, Mr Nelson Kirenda, the engineers were interdicted following a joint monitoring exercise by various district stakeholders.

The exercise which was headed by Mr Nathan Nandala Mafabi, the MP for Budadiri West, aimed to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of public funds, revealed several anomalies in the execution of road works under the Uganda Road Fund programme, covering the period from the 2021/2022 financial year to date.

“In particular there was a case of road works in Mafudu Sub- County which were done using materials donated by Mr Nathan Nandala Mafabi MP for Budadiri West but which you personally accounted for as part of the work done by the District using District resources. This act on your part is tantamount to false accounting and causing financial loss which are contrary to the provisions of the Uganda Public Service Standing Orders (2021),”the interdiction letter reads in part.

The CAO accuses the interdicted engineers for reporting that  various road works were completed under the Uganda Road Fund programme and yet the works are either not done or they are incomplete.

“Other works were hurriedly done only after receipt of my letter, and they remain incomplete. This is tantamount to negligence of duty, false accounting and misappropriation of public funds which are all in contravention of section 65 (2) (a), (c) and (d) of the Local Government Act, ”the letter reads.

“I wrote to you a letter referenced CR 156/2,dated December 31,2024, drawing your attention to issues raised by the District Internal Auditor regarding various road works under the road maintenance grant of Shs1 billion. I also sent an earlier letter requesting you to explain why some road works under the Uganda Road Fund programme remain incomplete, despite receiving the necessary funding and reporting that the work was done. These works date back to the 2021/2022 financial year. To date, you have not responded to my letter,”the letter reads in part.

CAO also accuses Mr Wasukira for failure to adequately supervise the staff.

“I am compelled to invoke section (f-s) 8 (b) of the Uganda Public Service Standing Orders (2021) and Regulation 38 of the Public Service Commission Regulations (2019) and I accordingly interdict you to pave way for further investigations to be carried out regarding your conduct as a Public Officer,the letter further reads.

He said the interdicted engineers will receive half pay during the time of interdiction.

The CAO also ordered the two interdicted engineers to hand over offices to allow investigations to proceed.

“You shall not appear at the offices of the works department or at the District Local Government offices in Sironko except with my written permission. You should also be readily available (on Phone or otherwise) for provision of the required information since there is an ongoing investigation into various road works by a number of organizations and agencies,” the letter reads.

Sironko district has been on the spot over corruption in the engineering department.

For instance, Last year November, the state Minister for economic monitoring Beatrice Akello, directed the State House Anti-Corruption Unit to investigate the Sironko district engineering department over the mess on roads in the area.

The minister who had led a team to inspect roads in the district was astonished to find out that out of the six roads which were supposed to be constructed in the 2023/24 financial year, none has been worked on yet government released funds for the same.

In December 2021,4, the former state minister for Economic monitoring in the office of the president, Mr Peter Ogwang arrested the Sironko District Engineer, Mr Andrew Wasukira over allegations of misappropriation of funds worth Shs74 million meant construction of a bridge. 

Mr Wasukira and many other district leaders were accused of corruption and negligence of duty by failing to supervise government projects that led to shoddy works and loss of taxpayer’s money.