Masindi district headquarters compound falls into disrepair after years of neglect

Masindi: Visitors to Masindi District Headquarters are greeted by a sprawling landscape of huge potholes, stagnant water and abandoned machinery, highlighting years of neglect at the district administrative compound.

The compound, which was tarmacked in the early 2000s during the tenure of the late John Nyakoojo Majara as LCV chairperson, has deteriorated to the extent that smooth movement of vehicles is now difficult.

Pedestrians, particularly persons with disabilities (PWDs) and the elderly, also struggle to navigate the uneven terrain.

The district council chambers are equally in a poor state, with parts of the internal structures reportedly damaged by termites.

The situation has also affected access to sanitation facilities. The ladies’ VIP latrine is non-functional, forcing women to use the facility designated for PWDs.

A person with a disability, who spoke to www.ugreports.co.ug on condition of anonymity, expressed frustration over the situation, saying the shared facility inconveniences PWDs seeking services at the district headquarters.

The compound is further marred by erosion channels caused by running water, worsening the condition of the grounds and access roads.

The poor state of the headquarters has reportedly persisted for more than 15 years, despite Masindi District having a fully-fledged road unit.

Abandoned machinery

The compound is also littered with grounded graders, bulldozers and vehicles that have reportedly been out of service for years.

Among the abandoned assets is an Operation Wealth Creation vehicle said to be in relatively good condition but requiring minor mechanical repairs.

The parking yard is also occupied by broken furniture, a grounded Jeep that has reportedly been non-functional for about 15 years, and other obsolete equipment.

The district’s inadequate vehicle fleet has also affected the ability of technocrats and political leaders to monitor government programmes in the field.

Other items occupying the compound include a non-functional generator, a NUSAF 2 vehicle, culverts and pillars intended for demarcating government land.

Efforts to obtain a comment from District Chairperson Patrick Wobusobozi were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls.

District promises action

Chief Administrative Officer Samuel Kaija Ruhweza said the district has plans to rehabilitate the compound and construct a new ladies’ toilet.

Kaija said the interventions have been provided for in the current financial year budget. “With Council chambers I can divulge much but can be worked on, maybe in the next financial year,” Kaija said.

District Council Speaker Patrick Tibigambwa said the council had previously budgeted Shs130 million to rehabilitate the compound but failed to implement the plan after diverting Shs90 million to settle an urgent court-related debt.

“We had budgeted Shs130M to work on them in the last financial year, but we were unable to do so because we spent Shs90 million clearing an urgent debt that accrued from a court case against the district. It was through a court order, and we had to clear it,” Tibigambwa said.

He said council members are equally concerned about the condition of the compound and confirmed that funds have been allocated in the current financial year to address the potholes.

Tibigambwa also said the district is engaging the contractor working on the stadium being prepared as a training ground for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations to support rehabilitation of the road leading to the district headquarters and paving of the compound through corporate social responsibility.

“We are also engaging the contractor working on the stadium, which will be the training ground for AFCON, to help us through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to work on the road leading to the district and also pave the compound since we are hosting them here,” he said.

He said the arrangement would enable the district to save funds for other priorities.

On the grounded vehicles and road equipment, Tibigambwa said the district sometimes advertises the assets for disposal, but potential bidders are often discouraged by the high cost of repairs.

“We can’t just dispose them off unless we go through a procurement procedure. But we have ordered our district engineer and the transport officer to conduct an assessment and find a service provider to work on those that are repairable, like a tipper, which could be given to some town councils to aid in garbage management,” he said.

He acknowledged that some of the grounded road equipment, including graders, is beyond repair.

Shs5 billion administration block plan stalls

The poor condition of the headquarters comes years after district authorities announced plans to construct a new administration block.

In 2021, the district embarked on efforts to raise about Shs5 billion for the project after developing an architectural design for the proposed building.

However, five years later, the proposed administration block has not materialised.

The continued deterioration of the existing compound has renewed questions about the district’s ability to maintain its administrative infrastructure while implementing development programmes across the district.

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