By KT Reporter
Concerns over poor-quality construction works in Pader District have intensified following a recent story by Uganda Radio Network (URN) titled “Broken Facilities, Hidden Contracts: Voices from the District.” District leaders say many of the problems stem from a decision by the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to halt councilor-led monitoring, crippling oversight, and allowing contractors to deliver substandard work.
Several leaders argue that the suspension of monitoring has created a vacuum, allowing contractors to inflate costs, alter project specifications, and execute defective work without accountability. Moses Ocan, Puranga Town Council representative, said several renovation projects remain incomplete despite consuming significant public funds.
He cited Puranga Senior Secondary School, where the roof of a classroom block was left unfinished, even though the contract sum exceeded 93 million shillings. “Defects are already visible and must be corrected before commissioning to ensure value for money,” he said. Other councilors reported discrepancies between approved Bills of Quantities (BOQs) and work on the ground.
In one project, the BOQ specified the rehabilitation of a three-classroom block, yet contractors were working on a hall, raising suspicions of unauthorized changes. Betty Lanyero, a district workers’ representative, expressed concern over widespread poor workmanship. She referenced a letter dated September 26, 2025, from the Puranga SS head teacher to the CAO, noting that a renovated two-classroom block had not been handed over and the contractor had abandoned the site.
The letter highlighted peeling veranda floors, broken office table handles, defective desks, and poor-quality window putty. The head teacher requested permission to repossess and use the building due to classroom shortages. Angagura Subcounty councilor Dickson Ojok linked the escalating defects to the collapse of monitoring.
“Councilors no longer have access to BOQs at construction sites, making it impossible to verify if contractors are following specifications,” he said. He noted frequent, unexplained BOQ changes point to credibility issues among contractors, contrary to Rule 91(c) of the Local Government Standing Orders, which mandates councilor oversight of development projects.
Richard Olal Ojok, chairperson of the Works and Technical Services Committee, criticized the CAO for weakening oversight structures. He said the CAO instructed the district engineer not to facilitate councilors with transport or contract documents, leaving them uninformed about awards, values, and timelines. “Why compromise transparency when taxpayer funds are being spent?” he asked.
Speaking on behalf of the CAO, Principal Assistant Secretary Joyce Anek Ongee said the district lacks a budget line to facilitate councilor monitoring. She insisted that leaders are free to monitor “on their own” and that no one is barred from accessing BOQs. She confirmed that the district engineer would provide the documents when requested.
Records indicate that under the 2024/2025 financial year, Pader District undertook 38 projects, mainly renovations, rehabilitations, and procurement of supplies, with a smaller number of new constructions. The total expenditure on these projects amounted to 4,145,345,107 Shillings.
In response to the concerns, District Speaker Wellborn Odiya Ottober announced that the Works and Technical Committee is authorized to immediately resume monitoring all projects to assess their condition before any commissioning. All construction project commissioning remains suspended as investigations continue into alleged irregular contract awards, shoddy works, and abandoned sites across the district.
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