Uganda: MPs Summon Finance, Works Officials Over Shs46bn Stalled Bridge Projects

The Parliamentary Committee on Government Assurance and Implementation has summoned officials from the Ministries of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and Works and Transport, together with contractors handling 30 stalled bridge projects worth Shs46 billion.

The summons follow oversight visits by the committee last week, which found several projects abandoned despite government releasing funds for their construction.

Committee Chairperson Francis Zaake Butebi said those responsible for the stalled projects must account for the Shs46 billion allocated to the 30 bridges.

The affected bridges are mainly located in the West Nile, Bukedi, Bugisu and Lango sub-regions.

Zaake and his deputy, Anna Adeke, said the committee found that most of the projects had either been abandoned or remained incomplete, while many people whose land was affected by the projects had not been compensated.

"We have released Shs46 billion for these 30 bridges but on the ground there is nothing to show. The bridges are incomplete, some abandoned, and our people in West Nile, Bukedi, Bugisu and Lango are suffering. The contractors must come and explain," Zaake said.

He said failure to compensate project-affected persons while also leaving the infrastructure incomplete had subjected communities to further hardship.

"We also found that the affected persons have not been compensated. You cannot take people's land and fail to pay them and also fail to deliver the bridge. That is double punishment to our people," he said.

A committee member blamed poor supervision by the responsible ministries for the delays and alleged poor-quality work on some of the projects.

"The Ministry of Works as the implementing agency and Finance as the funder have to explain why they released money without effective monitoring. We need to know who is responsible for this mess," the member said.

The committee has directed officials from the two ministries and all contractors handling the projects to appear before it on Tuesday next week.

They are expected to explain the factors behind the delayed completion of the 30 bridges and present a clear recovery plan for the projects.

Read the original article on Nile Post.