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Uganda: Makerere 2b/= Fence Washed Away
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The Monitor (Kampala)
17 September 2007
Posted to the web 17 September 2007
Richard Wanambwa and Steven Kibuuka
Makerere
The ongoing rains have thrown Makerere University top administration into a procurement scandal after the new perimeter fence the university was constructing collapsed in a heap.
A section of the wall fence, whose construction tender was illegally awarded and estimated to cost Shs2 billion, collapsed in the Sunday September 9 rain near the Law School side along Makerere hill Road.
Another section collapsed in on the side of the Makerere Eastern gate on Bombo Road near the Gayaza Road roundabout during the Thursday afternoon downpour.
Mr Bruce Balaba Kabaasa, a member of the University Council, said in a September 12 letter to Mr Mathew Rukikaire, the council chairman, that the matter required an urgent inquiry because it smacks of corruption.
"Whereas the current process is costing the University Council approximately Shs2 billion, the current state of the process is appalling. It should be further brought to your attention that about 2/3 of the completed work on both sides of the university have collapsed as a result of a simple downpour and has cost us 2 billion shillings," Mr Balaba said. "I have visited the affected sites myself and noted that the blocks are basically a mixture of sand, water and maybe some little cement."
Mr Balaba who sits on the Makerere University Council in his capacity as the chairman of the Makerere Convocation - the old students of the university - said the process of constructing the wall was an internal arrangement being supervised by the University Estates Department meaning that the tender was not advertised.
Daily Monitor couldn't talk to Mr Rukikaire as he was said to be travelling outside the country. Prof David Bakibinga, the deputy vice chancellor in charge if finance and administration, declined to comment when reached last week.
Prof Bakibinga, whose docket involves supervising the Estate Department, referred Daily Monitor to the University Spokesman Mr Gilbert Kadilo.
But Mr Kadilo told Daily Monitor that he couldn't comment about the scandal because it was a technical matter.
Sources told Daily Monitor that the project which is to be funded using internally generated funds was not advertised which contravenes the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) rules. According to Regulation 106(4) of PPDA, in public institutions, contracts above Shs 100 million must be awarded after open public bidding.
PPDA, which is chaired by former Auditor General John Kahoza is the body that regulates procurement in public offices to check corruption.
Only PPDA can waive the rules against open bidding but sources in Makerere said yesterday that Prof Bakibinga gave the University Estates a go ahead to construct the fence without proper bidding.
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PPDA Public Relations Officer Dora Egunyu said the authority would only come in to investigate the tender if it is petitioned by any member of the public.
Mr John Ekudu, the Dean of students at Makerere who is also a member on the construction committee, on Friday said he raised the issue of flouting the rules by questioning the procedure but said he was informed that everything was fine.
In his letter to Mr Rukikaire, Mr Balaba said that the collapse of the structure had hurt the integrity of the University Council. He wants the university officials involved in the flawed process brought to book and wants the task manager, Prof Bakibinga to be suspended.
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