Hopes for residents in Lugazi to see a ragged municipality turned into an urban jewel nestled in Buikwe district is slowly declining due to the poorly constructed roads under the Uganda Support for Municipal Infrastructural Development-USMID.
The project focused on road construction in Lugazi municipality was commissioned in January 2022 where a 2.5km stretch was established by M/S Sterling Civil Engineering Limited at Shillings 11.88billion.
In December 2022, Zhongmei Engineering Group Limited was contracted to construct a 10km road stretch at Shillings 26 billion within twelve months.
However, the contractor has failed to achieve at least 50 percent of the work. The partially done, is shoddily distinctive compared to other roads in municipalities where a similar project exists.
The asphalt surface established at part of the agreed stretch is slowly being washed away by running water. Some other substandard drainage channels are already filled and others washed away into people’s homes.
The other part of the drainage system is left open making it risky for travelers especially pedestrians who walk during night hours.
This website has established that money meant for the street drainage covers was instead diverted to street lights.
Lugazi Central Division Chairperson Kemisi Lutajan finds the contractor incompetent saying is busy wasting taxpayers money.
“This project was supposed to end in December 2023, but up to now we don’t see even 50 percent completed. The contractor is slow compared to the former, we have always asked him to surrender the project but insisted on carrying it forth.” Lutajan explains.
Lately, Lugazi municipality continues to grapple with roads in sorry state. Among the roads in devastating condition include Cathedral lane, Ssempala Road, Namengo, Ntenga, Mulefu, Station road and Gita road.
Zhongmei Engineering Group Limited subcontracted another company to construct the main drainage channel from the Central division to the Cathedral Lane (Nakazadde channel).
Lutajan notes that the construction works of the channel had to be done using machinery but the sub-contractor is using hand to hand which has created more delays.
“The IGG and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit need to step in and investigate the shoddy work happening in Lugazi under the USMID project. The taxpayer’s money is being put to waste.” Lutajan requested.
Residents and motorists traveling through Lugazi municipality are dismayed by the narrow roads creating difficulties for heavy trucks.
Mariam Kityo, a restaurant owner, faulted the contractor for leaving the deep drainage channel uncovered making it hard for her customers to access the restaurant.
Our efforts to talk to the Contractor about the nitty-gritties of the project progress have not yet succeeded, however, in our last talk to the Acting Contracts Manager, Jeifeng Wang, he noted that we were working according to the design handed over to them.
The Lugazi Municipal Town Clerk, Juliet Nakawuki declined to talk about the USMID Project saying she is new in office. Also the mayor, John Bosco Asea Onzuma noted that the USMID project turned complicated for him to comment about.
Contractor’s Incompetence
Before Zhongmei Engineering Group Limited was contracted to conduct works at Lugazi, it was blacklisted by African Development Bank (AFDB) over alleged fraudulent practices.
According to the statement from the bank, the then 12 months conditional non-debarment of Zhongmei Engineering Group Limited announced in April 2020, resulted from the tendering process for the upgrading of the Rukungiri-Kanungu road project.
Condition non-debarment means that so long as the sanctioned entity meets certain conditions such as implementing the corporate compliance program acceptable to AFDB, fully cooperating with the bank, and not attempting to evade the sanction imposed on it and those entities it directly or indirectly controls.
English 