New Contractor Takes Over Stalled 1.9 billion Shs Kololo Seed School Construction Project Which Caused Physical Fight in 2022 Between the District NRM Chairperson and District LC5 Chairperson Maracha.

📸: Kololo Seed Secondary School.

Story by Osuta Yusuf.

Maracha District.

31-October-2024.

📸: Sign post of the previous contractor at Kololo Seed Secondary School construction project. Photo taken on 6-June-2022 by Osuta Yusuf.

📸: Ongoing works by the new contractor at the School. Photo by Osuta Yusuf.

📸: Ongoing works at the school by the new contractor.

Robech Engineering Solutions Ltd, a construction company with the main office in Kampala City, Uganda, has in October-2024 taken over the continuity of Kololo Seed Secondary School construction project after the work stalled for over two years.

📸: Report written on 29-November-2021 by Maracha District Engineering department to State House Ant-corruption Unit, detailing the project details, funds released to the contractor and the stalled works.

📸: Page two of the report written on 29-November-2021 by the Engineering department Maracha District.

Under UGIFT project, Kololo Seed Secondary School, located in Vurra Parish, Tara Sub-county, Maracha East Constituency in Maracha District was awarded by Ministry of Education, Shs 1.9 billion construction project in the financial year 2018 / 2019 and the construction project was launched in 2019 with a contract period of one years which would have culminated into handing over and commissioning the project in 2020 upon completion.

📸: The ceiling of the newly constructed class room blocks that collapsed on Wednesday 1-June-2022. Photo by Osuta Yusuf.

However, the 1.9 billion shs project whose contract was awarded to ACHORU UNITED TRADERS LTD stalled along the way resulting into arrest and interdiction of six Maracha district officials (Chief Finance Officer Mr Candia Stephen, District Engineer Mr Ezatia Timothy Maluma, DEO Mrs Flavia Osoa, Internal Auditor Mr Abiribale T Paul, Clerk of works Mr Ezati Robert and Senior Assistant Engineer Mr Oneti William) in October-2022 over mismanagement of public funds and shoddy works.

📸: The new contractor fixing the Ceilings that collapsed in the Buildings constructed by the former Contractor.

📸: Eng Lunyuta Jovanny John, Site Civil Engineer for Robech Engineering Solutions Ltd. Photo by Osuta Yusuf.

Mr Lunyuta Jovanny John, Civil Engineer for Robech Engineering Solutions Ltd, upon saying there was shoddy work at the site, pledged to finish the construction works as soon as possible because of the adequate resources and man power they are having at the site.

📸: Another room in which the ceiling constructed with fresh eucalyptus tree poles that collapsed in 1-June-2022 and it sparked eyebrows and alarm over the shoddy works in the project.

📸: Ofekua Gabriel, NRM Chairperson for Maracha District speaking to media. Photo by Osuta Yusuf.

Maracha District NRM Chairperson Ofekua Gabriel, who was one of the people at the helm of exposing shoddy works, confrontations and verbal exchanges which led to him having a physical fight with the LC5 Chairperson Hon Obitre Stephen on 15-June-2022 over the Kololo Seed Secondary School construction scandal, expressed happiness for what the new contractor has done by removing parts of the Buildings at the school, something the District NRM Chairperson said, it confirms their confrontations and alarm over the project scandal were not in vain.

📸: Hon Alema Dicky, Workers Councilor and Secretary for Social Services in Maracha District.

The councilor representing workers in the district Hon Alema Dicky who doubles as the secretary for social services in Maracha District, while recounting the mystery surrounding the Kololo Seed Secondary School construction project when they just came newly into the district council, blamed the former contractor for that Project, ACHORU UNITED TRADERS LTD for doing a disservice for the people of Maracha District.

Hon Alema distanced himself from some politicians and technocrats in the district who might have in 2022, tried to blackmail those who were raising alarm over the shoddy works done in the 1.9 billion shs project at Kololo Seed SS.

📸: The new contractor removing the screeding and other shoddy works done on Buildings.

📸: Maracha District LC5 in whitish coat being separated from a physical fight with Maracha District NRM Chairperson Ofekua Gabriel in yellowish T-shirt, on Wednesday 15-June-2022 at Maracha District headquarter. Courtesy Photo.

📸: Hon Obitre Stephen, LC5 Chairperson for Maracha District. Photo by Osuta Yusuf.

Following some politicians and technocrats who quarreled, exchanged words, had physical fights, accusations and with others defending the corruption as a result of shoddy work by saying there was totally no component of corruption in the project even when the shoddy works were visible in an ordinary person's eyes, the LC5 Chairperson for Maracha District Hon Obitre Stephen blamed those who wrote petitions to investigation authorities in Uganda over the project, adding that, they misfired the petition by alleging the whole money 1.9 billion shs meant for the work was embezzled.

📸: Collins Dramani, Assistant RDC for Maracha District speaking to our reporter. Photo by Osuta Yusuf.

Assistant RDC for Maracha District, Mr Collins Dramani, while casting hope on the new contractor, stated that, as RDCs office, they have agreed altogether to have weekly monitoring of the project to make sure there is value for money and the mistake which was done by the previous contractor does not repeat itself this time.

The government has sent 950 Million Shs to the district as an additional funds to complete the construction peoject which is expected to be handed over in January 2025.

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