Africa-Press – Uganda. Leaders of Mbarara City, Ntungamo and Kabale municipalities have tasked government to cancel the contract of Multiplex Construction Company over failure to meet deadlines.
The company was contracted to construct roads under the Uganda support to Municipalities Infrastructure Development (USMID) in May 2021.
The project was expected to be complete by May 26, but the contractor failed to meet the deadline and asked for an extension, which was granted until September.
The contractor still hasn’t handed over the completed works and is seeking more extension.
The districts entered into an agreement with Multiplex Limited, in a joint Venture with Ditaco, to construct Major Victor Bwana road (0.95km), Galt road (0.63km), and Stanley Road (0.78km) in Mbarara City at Shs22b.
Other roads include Kajinya-Tindibakira road (2.07km) in Ntungamo Municipality at Shs11.39b and Rushoroza (2.49km), Bwankosya (0.76km) and Bushekwire (0.34Km) roads in Kabale Municipality at Shs21.7b.
The Ntungamo Municipality town clerk, Mr Francis Nyamugo, said while the council availed all the necessary resources, the contractor has failed to mobilise equipment and workforce.
“We don’t see any excuse of why the works have delayed. The contractor is incompetent. We have paid them more than what they have worked for but they are still behind schedule,” he claimed.
The Ntungamo Municipality mayor, Mr Jacob Kafureka Jaka Jex, said the delayed works are being queried.
“We have had several meetings with the central government, the funders, the contractor and all the rest. We make recommendations but they end in meetings. We need this contractor suspended to have the roads worked on. I don’t think the right person was procured,” he said.
Mr Ben Rutogogo, a resident of Ntungamo Municipality, said they have lost business due to failure of government to complete the roadworks.
“We have spent six months without seeing anything being done on the road, they dug trenches, and water is spilling over. They have closed us from doing business and they are doing nothing. If they don’t want to make the road, they should not have started it,” he said.
During the site meeting that was held on September 5, the town clerk for Kabale municipality, Ms Justine Barekye, revealed that the contract period for the three roads had been extended to January 31, 2023 to give the contractor more time.
The municipality mayor, Mr Sentaro Byamugisha, last Saturday warned that the contract shall be terminated, if the grace period expires.
“Despite the three times extension, he has only done about 50 percent of the expected roadworks and yet he is remaining with about one month to the end of the contract period,” he said.
Multiplex says
Last month, the managing director of Multiplex, Mr Moses Ndege Bbosa, attributed the delay to failure of project consultants to deliver the designs on time.
“I am sure that the roadworks will be completed as per the extension period because all the challenges that were hindering us such as the existence of utility lines and project designs have been solved. We shall work extra hours to ensure that the roads are completed by January 31,” he said.
In June, Kabale Municipal Council leaders petitioned the Speaker of Parliament to investigate the cause of slow implementation of the USMID project and the deputy Speaker tasked the minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development to handle the matter.
“I have received a petition from the leaders in Kabale Municipality and members of the municipality roads committee concerning the rehabilitation of roads in their area under cluster 6.
“In Accordance with rule 30(6) of the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament of Uganda, I am forwarding to your office the above-mentioned petition for your consideration and report back within two weeks,” Mr Thomas Tayebwa the deputy speaker wrote to the minister.
The Mbarara City mayor, Mr Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi, said he was optimistic that the contractor would deliver.
“The fact is that the contractor has delayed and has taken too long but we cannot think of terminating the contract because it will also involve many technicalities which we do not want to get entangled in,” he said.
He added: “the contractor has asked us for a short time to deliver and he seems to be serious and we need to give it to him”.
Mbarara City speaker Bonny Tashobya Karutsya said: “We as political leaders are highly disappointed with the contractor because we have given him two extensions and now he is asking for the third extension and we are disappointed in the company because by now we would be far” .
Compiled by Felix Ainebyoona, Perez Rumanzi &Robert Muhereza
Authorities say
The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms Judith Nabakooba, said the contractor does not deserve any extension.
“I am not in agreement with the extension and these people of USMID know it, they have run out of time. We have been patient enough. They have failed to deliver on their contractual obligations,” she said.
She added: “So we will be advised but for me I do not agree with the issue of extension”.
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