Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has said Egyptian contractor Samcrete Engineers and Contractors, which abandoned two multi-billion-shilling tourism road projects in the Kigezi sub-region, was not procured through Uganda Government procurement procedures because the projects were financed under the African Development Bank (AfDB).
Samcrete was awarded the Shs112 billion contract in June 2025 to upgrade the 8.4-kilometre Kabale–Lake Bunyonyi Tourism Road to bitumen standard. The company also secured the contract to construct the 13.4-kilometre Nyarusiza–Mgahinga Tourism Road in Kisoro District, linking Kisoro Town to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
The two roads are part of government’s strategy to improve tourism infrastructure and unlock economic opportunities in the Kigezi sub-region. However, in late May this year, Samcrete suspended construction works and withdrew its workers and equipment from both sites without publicly explaining the decision, disrupting transport, affecting businesses and slowing tourism activities.
The stalled projects prompted leaders in Kabale District, through the Office of the Resident District Commissioner, to petition the Office of the President seeking government intervention. Earlier this month, State Minister for Works and Transport Fred Byamukama told Parliament that government was considering terminating Samcrete’s contracts after establishing that the company lacked the capacity to complete the works.
He said the Ministry of Works and Transport had already engaged the African Development Bank and the Ministry of Finance on the proposed termination.
Ndorwa West MP Eliab Naturinda Mporeera later alleged through local media that the contractor had reportedly received 30 percent of the contract value before abandoning the projects. He also claimed the company hired equipment from local operators in Kabale instead of deploying its own machinery and questioned how it qualified for the contracts.
Speaking on Friday during the burial Mass of Mary Bazirake, wife of former Kabale Southern Division LCIII Chairperson Louis Bazirake, at Christ the King Catholic Parish in Kabale District, Tayebwa said the contractor was selected under the African Development Bank’s procurement framework rather than Uganda’s national procurement system.
According to Tayebwa, when the African Development Bank approved financing for the projects, procurement was conducted under the bank’s procedures, with government’s priority being to secure funding for the roads. He said government has since notified the African Development Bank about the contractor’s failure to execute the works and discussions are underway to replace Samcrete with a contractor capable of completing the projects.
Tayebwa also dismissed reports that Samcrete had already received 30 percent of the contract value, insisting the claims are false and that the contractor has not been paid by government.
He added that the African Development Bank’s top management has launched investigations into how Samcrete was awarded the contracts despite concerns over its capacity to execute the projects. Tayebwa said he had also briefed President Yoweri Museveni on the growing frustration among residents of the Kigezi sub-region over the stalled road projects. Appealing for calm, he assured residents that government is working with the African Development Bank to resolve the matter and ensure the projects are completed-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
