‘The big fund scandals in Kole’: Is the engineering department excessively corrupt?

Kole district local government is in the spotlight again over the mismanagement of road funds in the financial year 2023/2024.

Recently, the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) directed Kole District Engineer Emmanuel Okello to refund more than shs182 million that he had misappropriated.

However, another report from an investigation sanctioned by an anti-corruption agency shows that over shs200 million was stolen from shs1 billion meant for various road projects in the district in 2023/2024.

In the above financial year, Kole district local government received one billion shillings (shs1b) as a grant for the rehabilitation and maintenance of roads.

The district had planned and budgeted shs850 million to rehabilitate several roads – totalling 51.1 km.

These included Akalo-Adwila (9 km) at shs148 million, Ogwang Adar-Barpii-Ayara (21 km) at shs353 million, Otino Was-Apii-Ayer sub-county (6 km) at shs99 million, Aumi-Teati (9.1 km) at shs150 million, and Gwetta-Abongodic-Agwiri (6 km) at shs99 million.

The leaked report—an assessment on the use of the shs1 billion—reveals a series of deliberate and shocking price inflations in the bills of quantities (BOQs) intended to conceal theft in several roads.

Also read: Kole investor Mayur Patel loses 2k liters of soya crude oil worth shs12m 

On one of the roads worked on, the 23 km Ogwangadar-Barpii-Ayata-Tekeo road, the report states that the grader was planned for 126 days of use.

However, the grader completed the work in 50 days, with 9,896 litres of fuel not utilised. The pickup was planned for 198 days but was used for only 45 days, while 3,060 litres of fuel were not consumed and consequently stolen.

Additionally, the roller was planned for 101 days but completed the work in 45 days. The remaining fuel was similarly stolen.

Several other pieces of equipment had inflated fuel costs of a similar nature. On this 23 km road alone, shs90,667,200 was stolen through inflated fuel costs.

The BOQs clearly indicated that the road equipment worked for more days than the operators and drivers did, further confirming the cost inflation and raising the question of: “How can road equipment move without anyone operating it?”

The report also noted that vehicles that were grounded or unavailable still consumed fuel, despite being parked for years. Additionally, the cost of diesel was inflated by shs200 from shs5,000 to shs5,200 per litre. To the naked eye, this figure looks small.

However, when computed against the more than 100,000 litres used, this equates to over shs20,000,000. The BOQs quoted shs5,200 per litre, yet the fuel logs showed fuel purchased at shs5,000 per litre.

The roads were planned to be gravelled. However, the reports show that whereas the gravel thickness was meant to be between 120 mm and 200 mm, the average thickness measured only 64.6mm—almost half the standard thickness.

The above implies the remaining murram quantity was not applied and the corresponding funds were stolen.

It remains to be seen whether the one billion shillings in funds will have the desired impact given the current level of theft unearthed in Kole district.

As we investigate this continued action against service delivery, tndNews, Uganda asks: “Is the engineering department in Kole excessively corrupt?”