By Joyce Namutebi

MPs on the public accounts committee yesterday grilled officials of the Ministry of Works and KCC over the sh19b bill for street lights in Kampala and Entebbe under the CHOGM expenditure.

The MPs demanded to know from the team, led by permanent secretary Charles Muganzi, how the bill shot up from the original sh3.4b to sh19b – a five-fold increase.

The law makers further wanted to know how the ministry got involved in street lighting, which is the mandate of KCC. They also queried why the job was not advertised, and wanted to know who prepared the bid document.

Responding to the queries, Muganzi denied having taken over KCC powers. “We do not migrate mandates neither do we grab mandates,” he told the committee, chaired by Nandala Mafabi (FDC).

He said the ministry was instructed to take over lighting by a special Cabinet sub-committee, chaired by the President.
The MPs, however, noted that in the minutes of the Cabinet sub-committee meeting, the President’s directive was not there. But the PS said the minutes were flawed.

“KCC had been left on their own for more than a year. We had not seen any successful procurement. They had attempted public-private partnership but it was a total failure,” Muganzi said.

The PS further said the ministry got involved in the lighting of only the “inner zone of Kampala” and worked closely with KCC.

On the cost, the KCC principal electrical engineer, Waiswa Naluwairo, explained that in 2006 they had budgeted sh3.5b for maintenance of the lights at the time, and that the figure was based on the previous work done.

The committee agreed to meet again on February 23 when the town clerks of Kampala and Entebbe would also be invited.

They directed Muganzi to come with the minutes indicating that the responsibility of street lighting was transferred from KCC and Entebbe Municipality to the works ministry. The MPs also want the institutions to explain how the contractors were sourced.

According to documents seen by The New Vision, Dott Services was contracted by the Works ministry to undertake the installation of street lights on 84 roads in the city, including roads like Salaama, Masiro, Hoima and Mengo Hill roads which are outside the inner zone of Kampala.

The total contract sum went up from sh14.8b to sh18.4b, against a budget of sh4b. No approval was sought or received at the time from the procurement body, PPDA, for the increased cost.

The works ministry later asked PPDA to approve the variation retrospectively, which was refused.