A UGX 130 million teacher staff block at Natumukalei Community Primary School in Tapac Sub-county, Moroto District, has been abandoned by the contractor, raising concern over the risk of losing the funds as the financial year closes on June 30. The contract was awarded to Diluxy Construction Company in November 2025, with construction expected to start in February 2026 and be completed within four months. However, district officials say no work has started at the site, and the contractor has since left.
Moroto Chief Administrative Officer Kassim Kutosi Nasibu said the district summoned the contractor’s engineer to explain the delay, but the response given was that the company was unable to continue because of transport challenges. “The site was handed over in February, and works were supposed to be completed in four months, but unfortunately, the contractor did not communicate his challenges openly,” Nasibu said.He attributed the delay partly to the difficult terrain in Natumukalei, which is characterised by hills, escarpments, and poor roads that make transportation of construction materials difficult. “The area is hilly with many escarpments, making it difficult to transport materials. The people in that parish lack social services, but our efforts are hindered as the district struggles to navigate the terrain,” he said.
Nasibu said that although the council approved the construction of the staff house, the district should have first prioritised opening access roads to connect the area to the main road network. District authorities say Natumukalei Parish has no usable road network, forcing residents and service providers to walk about 20 kilometres from the nearest trading centre to access the area.
The parish is also affected by several streams flowing from the mountains and a difficult landscape that complicates infrastructure development. Moroto District Chairperson Stephanie Adupa said residents of Natumukalei continue to struggle to access basic services, including education, healthcare, and roads.
She said the district had supported the only community primary school in the area, built by the Missionaries of Africa at St. Paul Parish, Tapac, but the available facilities remain inadequate. “In the last financial year, we approved money to open roads and supported the only community primary school built by the Missionaries of Africa at St. Paul Parish, Tapac. The sub-county renovated one classroom block, and the district posted one teacher, but that is not enough. We had approved money for a staff house, but work has not started,” Adupa said.
The district now faces a June 30 deadline to either get the contractor back on site or risk returning the UGX 130 million to the treasury. Meanwhile, construction at Nakiloro Seed Secondary School in Katikekile Sub-county has resumed after the government released UGX 820 million through the UgIFT programme to complete infrastructure works and clear teacher arrears.The school had earlier faced challenges, including incomplete structures, unpaid teachers, and inadequate accommodation. Nasibu said the contractor has resumed work after being required to provide a bank guarantee to secure the funds before the financial year ends.
“We instructed him to provide a bank guarantee, so the money is paid instead of being returned when the financial year ends. We have paid UGX 90 million for works done so far, and the balance remains,” he said. He added that the guarantee will prevent the funds from reverting to the treasury, while all outstanding teacher arrears up to June salaries have been cleared-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
