Inspectorate of Government raises concerns over Shs 11bln Lira City USMID project
The project kicked off in May 2021 and was supposed to run for 15 months but since then, the road construction works have been progressing at a slow pace.
LIRA CITY, June 19, 2024 – The Inspectorate of Government [IG] has raised concerns over Shs 11 billion unexhausted funds under the Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development Programme in Lira City yet the finance year winds up in less than two weeks.
Under the programme funded by the World Bank, Lira City received Shs 61bln to upgrade six roads, construct children’s parks, establish a recreation centre at Coronation Park, beautify Mayor`s Garden, rehabilitate street lights, and install new ones.
The project kicked off in May 2021 and was supposed to run for 15 months but since then, the road construction works have been progressing at a slow pace.
The roads were supposed to work and handed over to Lira City authorities. They include Obangakene, Noteber, Aber, Olwol, Boundary, and Uhuru.
According to the report of Inspector General of Government [IGG], road upgrades have been done successfully but work on Numa ground, Mayor`s Garden, installation of new solar lights, and repair of existing street lights has not kicked off.
“I need a report on what magic will you use to exhaust all the monies within two weeks so that money is not refunded back, says Deputy IGG,” Dr Patricia Achan Okiria.
“The money was meant for service delivery and if it goes back, I will come and pick those who were directly responsible to go and answer,” Achan said while meeting Lira City authorities days ago.
The Project Manager who is also Lira City engineer, Freddie Owiny said they have been asking Abubakar Technical Services, a firm undertaking the works to complete, but all in vain.
“We wanted to terminate the contract but we were advised to struggle with the contractor like that to avoid legal fights,” she added.
On his part, the Mayor of Lira City, Sam Atul said they extended the contract more than two times to give the contractor ample time to accomplish the work but nothing has materialised.
“For four years we have been knocking at the door of the contractor to move but we have made no progress,” he said.
He advised that to save future projects, Ugandan companies should not be given any contract because records have shown that they cannot perform as promised.
USMID programme is designed as a Programme-for-Results [PforR] programme building on the Local Government Management and Service Delivery [LGMSD] programme, a performance base grant programme which was piloted by the World Bank under the first Local Government Development Programme [LGDP I] in selected districts and later scaled nationally to cover the entire local government system in Uganda with funding from the World Bank and other development partners.
Under the programme, other cities like Gulu, Arua, Fort Portal, Mbale, Mbarara, Soroti, and others have had their road infrastructure improved.
https://thecooperator.news/lira-city-launches-shs-834mln-beautification-and-greening-project/
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