Dott Services warned of Tirinyi-Nakalama shoddy work

Six months after the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) terminated a contract with Dott Services Ltd to construct the Mbale-Tirinyi -Nakalama road, plans to rehabilitate it have since stalled. Residents are now vexed over the deteriorating state of the road and
government’s delay to finalise its construction.

Dott Services’ contract was terminated in May on allegations of shoddy work. The company was awarded the contract to work on the 100.2km road at Shs73b after completing rehabilitation of Mbale-Tororo-Soroti highway in 2015 at cost of Shs190 billion.

According to a September 2, 2017 letter signed by Unra acting executive director Edna Rugumayo, the contract was terminated because
the contractor failed to comply with the contractual obligations and was unwilling to be supervised by the road’s authority.
“We have immediately commenced on the procurement of the new contractor. This process is now in very advanced stages and we expect
to have a contract signed by the end of September 2017 and the contractor on site by the end of October 2017,” Ms Rugumayo wrote
then, although there is no progress on ground.

By the time the contract was terminated, the physical progress on the road was 19.09 per cent against the planned 94.46 per cent. The contractor abandoned the road after digging open holes and water channels thus making the road impassable and prone to accidents.

Residents along the stretch have on several occasions protested and blocked the road, describing it as a death-trap. On such occasions,
traffic flow has been paralyzed and transport fares increased. In August, a group of Members of Parliament led by Mr John Baptist
Nambeshe (Manjiya County) staged a demonstration over the same, which was blocked by police, claiming the legislators had not sought
permission from police.

Leaders from Budaka, Mbale, Namutumba, Iganga and Kibuku districts have faulted the government for delaying the construction works on the road. Vendors and traders operating on the road have also cried foul over dust that has affected their goods.

“The contractor left the road with open water channels, which pose a danger to both the motorists and the pedestrians but the government is
not bothered,” Mr Umali Hamba, a former Kamonkoli Sub-county councillor in Budaka District, said. Mr Hamba accused UNRA of failing to maintain the road. “They have failed to keep the road passable and control the dust by watering. This is very disappointing and disgusting,” he said. Mr Steven Masika, another road user, faulted the government for awarding contracts to companies without capacity to do standard work. “This is what you get when you award contracts to companies with no technical capacity,” he said

The Budaka LCV chairperson, Mr Sam Mulomi, said UNRA had committed itself that the works on the road would resume in October, but nothing has been done. “We issued a notice to Unra threatening to carry out massive demonstrations over the state of the road but later, we called it off after they promised that the construction will soon begin by September. Unfortunately, there are no signs. We planning to hold the demonstration again,” he said.

However, the UNRA spokesperson, Mr Mark Ssali, said they had procured a new contractor, China Civil Engineering and construction
Corporation, to resume work, but held back after Dott Services sued the authority over what it termed as unlawful termination of their
contract. “UNRA has not yet got the approval to send the contractor on site,” Mr Ssali said.

The works was commissioned by President Museveni in November 2016. Mr Museveni an April 21, 2017 letter barred government agencies from entering into any new contract with Dott services.

“I have received credible information relating to fraudulent dealings by Dott Services that are not acceptable,” he stated. Mr Yasin Wabomba, the deputy speaker of Mbale Municipality, said the road is getting damaged because of poor workmanship and supervision. “Unra always fails to do its supervisory work and they should be the ones to blame,” he said.

Mr Nambeshe said there is no value for money if such substandard work can be tolerated by government. “We are disappointed with government because this is wastage of taxpayers’ money,” he said.