The 0.944 Km Nyakana-Kagote road in Fort Portal town that has been was completed under USMID program. The road has boosted business around Fort Portal town. Photo by ALEX ASHABA
SEPTEMBER 6, 2019
BY FELIX BASIIME
KABAROLE: Fort Portal Municipal council will feel the
pinch again of missing out on the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure
Development (USMID) project for about two financial years due to poor audit
issues according to the Public Procurement and disposal of public assets
authority (PPDA).
“Fort Portal municipal council will miss out
on the USMID funds for about two financial years due to poor accountability of
the funds disbursed to them in the previous years and USMID is one of the key
projects of the World Bank that when mishandled can close other taps of
funding” said Ms Lydia Kwesiga, the Regional Manager Public Procurement and
disposal of public assets authority (PPDA) on September 6, 2019.
USMID is a five-year World Bank funded project
aimed at enhancing institutional performance and improving urban service
delivery. It is being implemented by the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban
Development. It commenced in 2013/2014 and will end in 2018/2019.
Under the USMID program, Fort Portal
Municipality has received Shs 13,661,211,936 over the five year program period
2013/14 to 2017/18.
Using these funds, the Municipality has
rehabilitated roads and constructed infrastructure including: Nyakana-Kagote
Road, Market Road, Access roads and Rukidi III street totaling to 1.302 km;
installation of 58 solar street lights; and construction of Mugunu Lorry park
with 3,454 square meters of parking space.
Under the additional funding of USMID, Fort
Portal is expected to receive about Shs 25.4 billion over the five year period
2018/19 to 2022/23 but this may remain on paper if the accountability and
procurement gaps are not fixed.
These funds were meant to improve road
infrastructure of about 15 km that include Kahungabunyonyi road, Rwengoma road
network, Kagote road and Kuku-Karamaga Road among others; solar street
lighting; urban solid waste management, drainage and storm water control and
construction of Kabundeire farmer’s market.
The poor accountability issues and alleged
corruption in these projects took centre stage on September 6, 2019 during a
tribunal by the Inter government agency forum to fight corruption.
The forum that brings together all organs of
government that fight corruption in the country was chaired by
State Minister for Ethics and Integrity, Office of the President, Rev Fr.
Simon Lokodo and comprised other organs; State House anti-corruption team,
Government Inspectorate, PPDA, Public Prosecution and Police local government
fraud and anti-corruption department.
The team that has been conducting public
tribunals in Bundibugyo, Ntoroko and Kabarole districts found several audit and
procurement queries in the local governments and followed complaints earlier
raised by the local whistle blowers and the Rwenzori Anti-Corruption Coalition
(RAC), an NGO operating in Rwenzori sub region.
In one of the salient cases, East Division
chairman, Mr Willy Magezi said, “We as Divisions we don’t know how much we
collect or what is due to us, it is only known by the Town Clerk who has
usurped our duties as Divisions, we have been disfranchised and this is against
the law”
Previously, Fort Portal missed out on the
funds for the 2016/2017 financial year for alleged failure to meet the minimum
requirements. It also had challenges with procurement of contractors for civil
works, disagreements between the technical staff and political leaders and
failure to account for the funds disbursed in the 2015/2016 financial year to
the municipality.
Ms Kwesiga, the Regional Manager Public
Procurement and disposal of public assets authority said that whereas Fort
Portal was doing well in procurement in the past, of recent three years it has
done poorly that has led to suspension of USMID funds.
Recently Fort Portal municipality was elevated
to a city status among the first 5 cities to be operational in July 2020 but
the Resident District Commissioner, Mr Steven Asiimwe observed that the
corruption and in fighting will slow the pace of development.
“The pace of development of Fort Portal will
definitely be affected by such issues as raised by the PPDA unless the technical
staff and the political wing come on the same table and plan together to
develop the town” observed Asiimwe.
The reports raised by the 2 division chairmen,
Mr Willy Magezi (East), Mr Herbert Mugisa (South) and Ms Sylvia Kihunde, the
Senior Accountant all pinned the Town Clerk, Mr Geoffrey Bamanyisa over several
alleged flaws in procurement processes and prompted Rev Fr Lokodo to order for
his arrest despite being away on leave.
However, Fort Portal Mayor, Rev Willy Kintu
Muhanga refuted some allegations raised by the division chairmen in the
tendering of contracts in town.
“We use the right procedures and it is not
true that the same companies have won tenders over the years” Muhanga said.
The division chairmen accused Bamanyisa of
paralyzing business in town by going on leave without delegating his powers to
his juniors to release funds.
“As we talk now, it is over 10 days the
divisions can’t pay for anything just because the Town Clerk went on leave”
said Magezi.
“This is not acceptable, the Town Clerk and
any other person implicated must be brought to order, am leaving behind part of
my team for 10 days to dig deep into these allegations and within one month we
shall leave no stone unturned” Fr Lokodo said.
Fort Portal municipal
council has had 4 Town clerks since 2015, Mr Paul Amoko, Mr Leonard Tumusiime,
Mr Deo Ndimu and now Geoffrey Bamanyisa. All of them have had to pull
strings with the political heads either with the mayor or with the Speaker over
disagreements on allowances or projects.
The USMID project came
into force after the World Bank Board of Executive Directors in March
2013 approved an International Development Association (IDA) credit of
US$150 million to finance urban infrastructure and improve service delivery in
14 municipalities in Uganda.
The municipalities
include: Arua, Gulu, Lira (Northern Uganda), Soroti, Moroto, Mbale, Tororo,
Jinja (Eastern Uganda); Entebbe, Masaka (Central); Mbarara, Kabale, Fort Portal
and Hoima (Western Uganda).
END
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