Contractors implementing education infrastructure projects in Kamwenge District have been warned that facilities that fail to meet required quality standards will not be commissioned. The warning was issued on Friday during the technical site handover for construction works at Mpanga Parents’ Secondary School and Bigodi Secondary School under the Uganda Secondary Education Expansion Project (USEEP).
The projects are funded by the Ministry of Education and Sports to expand and improve secondary school infrastructure across the country. At Mpanga Parents’ Secondary School, Unified Engineering and Investment Limited has been given two weeks to mobilise resources and six months to construct four furnished classrooms and a fully equipped science laboratory for Shs849.4 million.
Eng. Aggrey Atukwasa, who heads the USEEP Project Implementation Unit in the Tooro sub-region, said the contractor must adhere to the required standards and complete the project within the agreed six-month period. He warned against poor workmanship and unnecessary delays, noting that prolonged projects have in some cases resulted in substandard facilities.
Atukwasa also cautioned the contractor against seeking unnecessary extensions, saying delays could compromise both the quality and durability of the completed structures. The Managing Director of Unified Engineering and Investment Limited, Eng. Ronald Musasira, presented the required project documents, including a performance guarantee from Centenary Bank and insurance from GA Insurance, and pledged to complete the works within the agreed timeframe.
At Bigodi Secondary School in Bigodi Town Council, Andy Mucho Investments Limited will construct two five-stance latrines for Shs220.04 million. Eng. Flugence Turyatemba, representing the contractor, pledged to complete the works within the agreed period. The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Sports, Eng. Cuthbert Abigaba Mirembe, who is also the Kibale County MP, called for joint monitoring of the projects by school administrators, local communities and government officials.
He urged contractors to demonstrate their commitment through quality work rather than simply presenting the required documentation. Mirembe also pledged to use his position in Parliament to lobby for additional education infrastructure projects in Kamwenge District. Kamwenge District LCV Chairperson Joseph Karungi urged the contractors to use genuine construction materials to ensure the facilities are durable.
He said the district remains committed to supporting government efforts to expand access to secondary education, in line with the policy of establishing a secondary school in every sub-county. Karungi also asked school administrators to maintain proper site plans to guide future developments, including projects that may be supported under the Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project.
Deputy Resident District Commissioner Namara Loy Batuze warned that contractors who deliver substandard work risk having their projects rejected. He said the district would not commission facilities that fail to meet the required standards. The officials also directed the contractors to employ residents and refugees, as required under World Bank-supported projects in refugee-hosting districts.
The headteachers of the two schools, Nzana Habert of Bigodi Secondary School and Asaba Kamida of Mpanga Parents’ Secondary School, pledged to cooperate with the contractors and provide close supervision throughout the implementation of the projects-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
