A three-billion shilling World Bank project hangs in balance after Fort Portal municipal council rejected the Kabarole district engineer and treasurer, who are supposed to supervise it.
Last year, the World Bank gave Fort Portal Municipality the money for infrastructural development. The money will be for constructing roads in some peri-urban areas, maintain the existing roads in the centre and outskirts of the municipality, improve the drainage system and construct more markets in the three municipal divisions, among other things.
The condition for receiving the money, however, was that the municipality should have a substantive and certified engineer and a treasurer.
Currently, the municipality has an acting engineer, Francis Balewa, who replaced Engineer Adolf Kahuma who now works with Ntoroko district local government.
Last week, Adolf Mwesige, the Minister of Local Government wrote to the Kabarole district LC5 chairperson, Richard Rwabuhinga, instructing him to temporarily second the district engineer, David Rwakatama and treasurer Samuel Basaba, to the municipality so that implementation of the project can start.
The town clerk Ambrose Atwooko, however, rejected both the technical staff and this is likely to affect the implementation of the three year project.
The rejection by the municipal council has forced some councilors to put the Town Clerk to task to explain why the two technical officials were rejected and why he is frustrating the project.
Prosper Businge, the chairperson of works committee says that he had no objection seconding the two district officials, since the project will benefit the district and not only the municipality.
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Faith Mbabazi, a resident of Fort Portal says that since the municipality wants to gain a city status, the municipal authorities should not sabotage the project.
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Asked why he rejected the two officials, Atwooko said he doesn't want to discuss the issue with the press.
In a telephone interview, Minister Adolf Mwesige said that if the municipal council fails to have an engineer or treasurer within one month, the money will be diverted to another municipality.
The lack of a substantive municipal engineer has also affected the rehabilitation of roads in the three municipal divisions.
