Joshua Nahamya
03 February, 2025
Mbarara City – A month after the commissioning of Katete Bridge, locals have petitioned the inspector general of government [IGG] challenging the total funds spent on the rehabilitation of the dilapidated bridge in Mbarara City’s south division.
According to Omar Mayanja, spokesperson for political activists in Mbarara city, the Shs 366mln spent is more than the quality of work delivered.
“Over time we noticed that the money we pay is not properly used to develop quality services and it is time for us to understand that we should start asking about the accountability of the services we receive compared to the taxes that we pay”
For instance, when you look at the money spent on Katete Bridge with the weak and old materials used for its renovation, you can’t even imagine that it is the UPDF brigade that was contracted to produce quality work for this country,” Mayanja noted
He said that the money spent on the renovation exercise is about Shs 100mln compared to the Shs 366mln the city council leadership contracted thus calling the IGG’s office to investigate the remaining balance.
“Recently they closed Katete Bridge for three months and all our businesses collapsed while they planned to construct for us the bridge but all of a sudden they constructed something which is substandard a reason why the RCC refused to launch it because the bills of quantities do not match with the money spent on the bridge,” Mayanja said
He blamed the city leaders who mind less about the taxpayers’ money. “We have a problem with our leaders whom we elect but they only embrace their selfish interests” I am requesting our Members of Parliament to go to that bridge to ascertain whether the budgeted money was properly used,” Mayanja said
He added that the corruption in the city is at its peak thus calling upon relevant authorities to intervene.
“Among all the local governments in Uganda, corruption in Mbarara city is at another level and I don’t even know whether the president looks at such happening in Mbarara” Let it be street parking, market dues, property tax among other revenue collections are swallowed by individuals thus denying tax payers’ adequate service delivery,” Mayanja said
He said that Mbarara city’s south division has about three bridges connecting to the main town which are in a dilapidated state that require repair.
“We have Taso Bridge and Kanyeyite Bridge which are all in a sorry state whereby all that money claimed to have been spent on Katete Bridge should have renovated both the three bridges in Mbarara city south division.” Mayanja said
Rajab Sasa, another whistle-blower, asked area MPs to always monitor and supervise ongoing government projects.
“Lobbying alone is not enough, it is the mandate of the Member of Parliament to ensure that the lobbied money is put to proper use if not their efforts will be put to waste,” Sasa noted
He said that they have petitioned the relevant offices and if nothing is done, they will have to demonstrate.
“As people of Mbarara who feel sorry for the theft that is going on in this city, we have written to the IGG, City mayor, DPC, RCC, and copied in all the other leaders including the members of parliament and if nothing is done then we shall write to the president about the corruption tendencies that are going in this city,” Sasa said
He warned, “We have given them seven days if they don’t come out to give us accountability on Katete Bridge, we shall mobilize the 10,000 people in this city to go and close the city council offices until they listen to our cries”.
“We shall even cast a vote of no confidence because they don’t know what they are doing. They don’t consult the people of Mbarara they just sit down to steal the property of Mbarara,” Sasa said
Sasa said that the bridge was blocked for a long time yet the people thought that a permanent bridge would be constructed, which never happened.
“The bridge was closed for almost months and our businesses were affected especially the people of Katete” We expected a permanent bridge but eventually they made substandard work because how do you make a bridge and put a barrier banning heavy trucks from passing through the newly constructed bridge” that one automatically shows the kind of shoddy work they have done which we require a special investigation,” he said
Sasa added that after three days the same bridge had started wearing off some of the metal plates and the barriers were already collapsing.
“The plates they used were ancient yet we had trust that being the UPDF construction brigade, they would construct a standard bridge” We thought they would go to the factory and order for new metal plates which is not the case,” he said
Benson Moxy acknowledged that they have already petitioned the IGG and copied the speaker, town clerk, mayor and engineer, RCC, DISO, and DPC for an urgent solution to the matter at hand.
“We have written to the IGG and given copies to the speaker, town clerk, speaker, mayor and engineer, RCC, DISO, and DPC” We are giving them only one week to explain to us the bills of quantities visa vi the tax payers’ money that was injected,” Moxy said
He added, “We have given them only 7 days and if they don’t come and give us accountability over this issue, we shall go and close the city council offices”.
On his part, Assy Abirebe Tumwesigire, the former town clerk of Mbarara city thanked the UPDF brigade for delivering quality work as per the signed bills of quantities.
“As the technical staff we are satisfied and happy to see that the bridge is completed and ready for use,” Tumwesigire said
He said that the renovated bridge is not going to last long, thus appealing to the government to construct a permanent bridge connecting the people of Katete Ward to the main town.
“Katete Bridge is not yet at the standard but the Ministry of Works has already gotten the designs to construct the standard and long lasting bridge though it requires a big budget,” Tumwesigire said
In April 2024, the Area MP, Mwine Mpaka told residents that parliament had received a bill of quantities amounting to Shs 6.9 billion to work on the Katete Main Bridge this financial year 2024/2025.
“I want to give you good news that the Ministry of Works and Transport released the bill of quantities for that bridge. It requires Shs 6.9bln. Right now, we are in the process to see how we can put it in the budget of the next financial year as a priority,” Mpaka said then.
Whereas the bills of quantities were released for Katete Bridge that connects Mbarara city to Isingiro district and Tanzania, only Shs 500mln were released by the Ministry of Works and Transport for the restructuring of Katete in this financial year, a matter that left residents of Mbarara wondering why the big plan for the said bridge disappeared mysteriously.
According to allegations, the matter at hand did not spare the Town Clerk Assy Abirebe Tumwesigire, who was recently transferred to Mbale City and replaced with Justine Barekye from Soroti City.
