Masindi authorities decline to commission government projects over shoddy work
He criticized the contractors for delaying the project, something he blamed on poor workmanship.
By Our Reporter
Masindi: Masindi district authorities have declined to commission government projects over shoddy work.
The team, led by the Resident District Commissioner Emmy Ngabirano and consisting of the district chairperson Cosmas Byaruhanga, speaker Moses Kiirya, and district engineer Joseph Sunday, among others, recently conducted a monitoring visit of the different government projects being undertaken in the different sub counties.
But the team declined to commission projects, which include a borehole constructed at 19.6 million shillings in Kituuka central village, a placenta pit at Kilanyi Health Center II, and an irrigation plant at Kihonda demonstration farm, all in Labbongo Sub County.
Ngabirano refused to commission the borehole on the grounds that the poles that were used to fence around it were weak and it lacked a proper soak pit. In addition, he also refused to commission the placenta pit, which was constructed for 7.9 million shillings, after detecting some defects in it.
He further refused to commission the irrigation plant because it could not pump the water.
Ngabirano gave the district water officer an ultimatum of one week to rectify the defects on the borehole so that it could be commissioned.
He also gave the contractor two weeks to rectify the defects on the placenta pit so that it could also be commissioned for use. However, the RDC launched the construction of a 2-classroom block at Nyakarongo Primary School in Kiruuli Sub County.
Others are a two-classroom block constructed at a cost of Sh98 million at Kinumi Primary School in Miirya Sub County after discovering it had defects, which prompted them to order the contractor to rectify them.
The team also rejected a two-classroom block at Kilanyi Muslim primary school in Labbongo Sub County whose floor had not been done in accordance with the specifications in the Bills of Quantities.
This was the third time the authorities declined to commission the project over shoddy work and even demolished the floor on top of ordering the contractor to do it afresh.
RDC Ngabirano criticized the contractors for delaying the project, something he blamed on poor workmanship.
”You are demolishing the classroom floor for the third time; where is the problem? Cement or sand, we are changing the contractor, and we cannot commission the structure that had defects,’’ he said.
The team proceeded to Nyantonzi Health Center III in Nyantonzi Sub County and commissioned an Outpatient Department block that was constructed at a cost of Sh 239 million.
Commissioning the block, RDC Ngabirano asked the Nyantonzi people to prevent diseases as a way of staying healthy and reduce the challenge of frequent drug stock outs at the facility.
Later, the team proceeded to Alimugonza Market, where the RDC commissioned a newly constructed three-stance-lined latrine, before winding up the trip at Nyakarongo Primary School in Kiruuli Sub County, where he launched the construction of a two-classroom block.
While launching the project, the RDC warned the community members against stealing the construction materials.
Speaking during the same event, Cosmas Byaruhanga, the Masindi district chairperson, called upon the residents of Nyakarongo and the surrounding villages to take advantage of the classrooms to educate their children.
Edward Baguma, the LC3 Kiruli Sub County, applauded the government for the project in the area and threatened to mount an operation to fight against school dropouts in the area.
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