Masindi district authorities have issued a two-week ultimatum to CMD Investments Limited over the delayed construction of Kijunjubwa Seed School in Kijunjubwa sub-county.
The ultimatum follows a tense site meeting held on June 3, chaired by the Masindi Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Darius Nandida.
RDC Nandida told tndNews, Uganda, that several concerns about the delay came up, and he decided to convene a site meeting for proper key resolutions.
Nandinda stated that the meeting resolved to have the contractor hire subcontractors for water and electricity installations to expedite the work.
“We have observed that the contractor was the one behind schedule and therefore directed him to get subcontractors for water and electricity within a period of two weeks. And those sub-contractors are paid directly by the district before money goes back to the treasury account,” Nandida stated.
He added that the contractor was further advised to focus on other minor things, like painting, compound work, among others.
The school is being constructed with funding from the World Bank under the Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfer (UgiFT) program.
According to government officials, the contractor was to complete the work in 18 months and hand it over by July 16, 2024, for commissioning.
However, despite the contractor receiving shs1.7 billion, the structure remains unfinished, something which is worrying the community and district authorities.
The construction BoQ includes an administration block, staff quarters, a classroom block, levelling of the football ground, and installation of rainwater harvesting tanks.
Gerald Ahumuza, PTA chairperson, expressed concerns about the learners at the school, saying they are studying under structures that have been condemned.
Jus Yahya, LCIII chairperson of Kijunjubwa town council, emphasised the need for prompt completion of the project to ensure a conducive learning environment for students.
Francis Ayena, CMD Investments Limited site engineer, acknowledged the stalled work, attributing the delay to starting the project late after signing the contract.
Meanwhile, Ayena was also unable to state the current progress of the project.
Due to failure to meet project deadlines, Masindi CAO Tappy Namulondo wrote to the directors of CMD Investments Limited in August 2024 ordering them to vacate the site.
The action was to allow new contractors to take over the construction works.
Discover more from tndNews, Uganda
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.