The Ministry of Local Government has introduced standard building specifications and uniform costing for the construction of local government headquarters in a move aimed at controlling costs, improving quality and curbing corruption.
State Minister for Local Government Justine Nameere said the new standards will apply to districts and other local governments undertaking construction of their headquarters, with immediate effect.
Nameere said the policy was communicated to local governments on September 2 and has since been circulated to mayors, commissioners, Resident District Commissioners, city commissioners, Chief Administrative Officers and other stakeholders.
Under the new system, the preparation of Bills of Quantities (BOQs), which detail the materials, quantities and costs required for a construction project, will be standardised to ensure local governments use uniform specifications and costs for similar buildings.
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Nameere said the move follows concerns over what she described as inflated construction estimates for some local government headquarters, with some projects budgeted at between Shs10 billion and Shs19 billion.
She contrasted the figures with other headquarters that, according to her, have been completed and are fully functional at significantly lower costs.
Nameere alleged that some projects with higher budgets have also experienced delays, remained incomplete or become subject to corruption-related investigations.
"We have a new standard now. As government, we are going to have standard BOQs and very strict vetting of contractors," Nameere said.
She said the standardisation is intended not only to reduce opportunities for corruption but also to improve the quality and accessibility of public buildings.
The new standards will set requirements for different components of government buildings, including office space, toilets, facilities for persons with disabilities, air conditioning and alternative energy systems such as solar power.
Nameere said centralising the costing process will make it easier for government to establish appropriate prices and specifications for similar structures across local governments.
The ministry has also tightened the vetting of contractors following concerns that some companies were being awarded government projects despite lacking the capacity to complete them.
According to Nameere, the reforms form part of measures undertaken during her first 90 days in office to strengthen supervision and accountability within local governments.
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She said the ministry had also revised guidelines governing the Parish Development Model (PDM) following reports from the field about irregularities in the selection of beneficiaries and management of PDM groups.
Nameere said the revised guidelines are intended to make parish-level meetings and beneficiary selection more open and inclusive, reducing the possibility of individuals controlling the process.
She said the changes are aimed at ensuring government programmes reach their intended beneficiaries and that decisions at parish level are made through transparent community processes.
