The State Minister for Economic Monitoring, Hon. Beatrice Akello, has instructed the State House Anti-Corruption Unit to investigate the Sironko District Engineering Department over allegations of mismanagement and failure to implement road construction projects.
During an inspection, the minister discovered that six roads earmarked for construction in the 2023/2024 financial year remain untouched, despite the government releasing 1 billion UGX for the works. Shockingly, 50% of the funds allocated for the previous financial year remain unused.
Hon. Akello expressed concern over the deplorable state of the roads, emphasizing that this was already the second quarter of the financial year. She dismissed claims by the district engineer, Andrew Wasukira, who attributed the delays to prolonged heavy rains over the past year.
The minister also inspected other stalled projects, including the micro-irrigation scheme in Mutufu Town Council, which remains incomplete, and the non-functional Buhugu milk cooler. She criticized the planning process for the milk cooler, stating that the project designers failed to consult the local community, which lacks sufficient cows to sustain milk supply. Residents are now demanding a maize mill instead.
Another abandoned project is the Buweri administrative building, which has been stuck at the foundation level for over three years despite a budget of 17 million UGX.
Hon. Akello directed the Anti-Corruption Unit to thoroughly investigate all incomplete projects in the district. She also revealed reports of alleged corruption, where agents of the Wendi initiative and SACCO leaders are accused of soliciting bribes from beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga programs. She demanded swift action against those involved.
RDC Sironko, Dennis Ephraim Balwanireghe, criticized civil servants for the substandard work and mismanagement in the district. He lamented that, despite significant government funding, many roads are impassable due to negligence by the engineering department.
Similarly, Herbert Musika, a councilor from Nalusla Sub-County, decried the poor state of most government projects in the area, blaming the inefficiency of civil servants for the wasted resources.
The minister’s visit to the region is part of an ongoing effort to monitor and ensure proper implementation of government-funded projects.
