By KT Reporter
Police in Amudat district have arrested 15 workers, including the site engineer, in connection with the theft of building materials from the Loroo Seed Secondary School construction site. The suspects, all employees of Alder Construction Company Limited, are accused of stealing paint and a generator valued at approximately nine million shillings.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the incident stems from delayed payments. Over 40 workers at the site reportedly went a full month without receiving their wages. Frustrated and desperate, some of the laborers allegedly resorted to taking buckets of paint and a generator as compensation for their unpaid work.
It is also alleged that although funds for food had been disbursed to the site engineer, no food was provided to the workers, forcing them to fend for themselves during the period of non-payment. Amudat Resident District Commissioner Denis Okori said police intercepted the 15 workers while they were transporting the paint.
The group involved in taking the generator had already fled, but the item was later recovered 40 kilometers from the construction site. Okori criticized the workers for resorting to unlawful means instead of reporting the issue to the authorities for intervention.
“The grievances are understandable, but they did not use lawful mechanisms. Instead, they took the law into their own hands. In this case, theft and destruction of property occurred. For example, the generator was found 40 kilometers away, which is a criminal offense,” Okori stated.
He added that the site engineer has also been arrested, and the managing director of Alder Construction Company has been summoned to explain the payment delays. Okori noted that the district has about 500 million shillings retained in its accounts. According to Okori, the district has already paid 80 percent of the contract sum—enough to clear outstanding worker dues.
The remaining balance is to be released upon the project’s completion. However, he expressed concern that the funds may have been mismanaged, noting that despite an advance payment of 165 million shillings two months ago, the construction progress has been disappointingly slow.
The pending works include painting, fitting laboratories, and completing teachers’ quarters. “I understand the contractor has several ongoing projects in Moroto and Napak, and they are all facing similar issues. He should consider borrowing to complete this work and avoid further complications,” Okori advised.
Mt. Moroto Regional Police Spokesperson Mike Longole confirmed the arrests and said most of the stolen items have been recovered. “Preliminary investigations suggest that the motive behind the theft was dissatisfaction with delayed wages.
The suspects are currently in custody and will face charges accordingly,” Longole said. The government began construction of the school in 2022 at an estimated cost of 3.6 billion shillings. The works were initially expected to be completed by December 2024, but have now been pushed to June this year-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
