KIKUUBE – The State Minister for Economic Monitoring, Peter Ogwang has ordered for Kwik Build Contractors & Engineering Ltd to be blacklisted in the district for shoddy work.
The company owned by Patrick Isagara, a resident of Hoima City was contracted by the government to implement the construction of several seed secondary schools in Bunyoro region including Kigorobya Seed Secondary School in Hoima district, Nyairongo Seed Secondary school in Kabwoya sub-county, Kikuube district and Nyamarwa Seed Secondary School in Kibaale district among others.
The company is accused of producing shoddy works on these projects that were contracted to them by the government through the Ministry of Education with funding from the World Bank.
During his impromptu visit to monitor different government projects in Bunyoro, Minister Ogwang discovered several defects on the two projects and ordered for the blacklisting of the company from carrying out any project in Bunyoro.
Ogwang noted that during his inspection, the Shs1.8 billion in Nyairongo Seed Secondary School project which started in 2019 had developed big cracks on the floor, in the laboratory and on the ceiling.
Though there are still uncompleted works on the project, the contractor was paid 95% of the Shs.1.8 billion and this has seen several district officials arrested.
He noted that the walls have also developed cracks adding that the material used during the construction was sub-standard.
According to Ogwang, the identified defects discovered on the project may lead the school structures not to exist for more than 10 years.
He explains that the same defects which were in the Nyairogo project were also discovered on the Kigorobya Seed Secondary School which is also worth more than Shs.1 billion.
He noted that the remaining 5% cannot handle the defects on the project and demanded the Ministry of Education to carry out forensic audit on most of the government projects implemented by Kwik Build Contractors & Engineering Ltd.
The District Engineer, Emma Arinaitwe and Julian Kusiima, the district Chief Finance Officer among others are being held responsible for the Nyairogo project.
This contractor is also accused for delaying the construction of Nyamarwa Seed School in Nyamarwa sub-county, Kibaale district
The government contracted Kwik Build Contractors &Engineering Ltd in 2019 to construct the seed school and works were supposed to have been completed in December 2020 but to date, the seed school has never been completed.
The Shs.1.8 billion seed school project according to the bills of quantities was to include construction of classrooms blocks, administration block, ICT block, science laboratory, pit latrines, fencing of the school and leveling of the sports field.
Dorothy Ajwang, the Kibaale Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) told theCooperator news that the contract period for the construction of the seed school has elapsed and they have only given a one-month ultimatum to the contractor to have completed the work or else his contract would be terminated.
Sources at Kikuube police station said that the Company Director Isagara, was recently summoned to make a statement but he never responded to police summons.
However, some residents claim that the contractor was given many projects that are beyond his capacity.
James Murungi, a resident of Nyairongo village Kabwoya advised the government to always get different contractors to implement its projects instead of giving more than 5 projects to one contractor which results in producing shoddy work and lack of value for money.
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