Iganga district is on the verge of losing 2.2 billion shillings because of breaching procument guidelines.
The money is meant for constructing access roads under Community Agricultural Infrastructure Improvement Program -CAIIP-2.
In 2009, Iganga district received shillings 1.2 billion under CAIIP I to construct community access roads in Nakalama, Nakigo, Namungalwe, Nawandala, Makuutu and Waibuga sub counties.
However, an evaluation team sent by the Ministry of Local Government found discrepancies in the bidding process. It also discovered that some on the companies awarded contracts to carry out the roads works were below average and were doing shoddy work. As a result, the ministry blocked the release of 2.2 billion shillings under the second phase until the district makes proper accountability for the previous monies.
Now, Iganga District authorities are struggling to convince the ministry to release the funds to work on the affected roads following another evaluation exercise. George Gakwande, Iganga Chief Administrative Officer, says that they need the money to work on 85.4 kms of community access roads in the district.
Iganga district Chairman Shaban Nkuutu says Kakuute Lyalya, the district Senior Procurement Officer who was implicated for messing up the first phase of the project, has since been interdicted. He explains that Margaret Kwebwawera has been appointed in his place to handle the project.
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Lyalya, however, denies allegations of breaching procurement guidelines saying that they followed the law before awarding tenders to contractors. But in a May 8, 2012 letter, Local Government minister Adolph Mwesige warns that no additional funds will be released to Iganga district unless his ministry receives full accountability for the disbursed funds.
He, however, says that some contractors in Namungalwe and Nakigo Sub Counties have been approved by the evaluation committee to work on the access roads. These are Spider Construction, Alliance Technical Services and MG Contractors that have been awarded teners to work on the roads in Namungalwe, Nakigo and Makuutu Sub Counties respectively. Iganga has a total of 2,227.35km of community roads, whose rehabilitation is funded by the central government.
