Local government ministry to relocate

By Alfred Wandera

THE Ministry of Local Government plans to relocate from its current home at Workers' House in the heart of the city to a more spacious place with ample parking space, the ministry's Permanent Secretary, Patrick Mutabwire has said.

Mutabwire told New Vision in a recent telephone interview that the ministry's employees and visitors face hard time to find parking space at Workers' House and they have found it prudent to look for a better location with adequate parking amenity.

"We are looking for a spacious building to rent for office space and parking. Workers' House is constrained and it makes our operations difficult since our visitors who come driving find it difficult to get parking space," said Mutabwire.

Asked why the ministry considers renting instead owning its home, Mutabwire said the budget allocation is not enough to construct or buy a new building big enough to cater for its staff and needed parking space.

He added that there is no free Government premises that can accommodate them.

According to an advert published Tuesday in the New Vision newspaper, the ministry has already allocated funds to be used for the acquisition of office space, although Mutabwire declined to confirm the amount and how much the ministry pays in rent currently at Workers' House.

He said he was away in Lira for the commissioning of the modern market and would only avail the details when he was back to office in Kampala.

The advert invites sealed bids from eligible bidders for provision of new office space with a number of specifications.

"The premises should be within a radius of 5kms of Kampala City centre with ease of tarmac road access. The office space should entail 4000-5000 square metres, 90-120 dedicated parking slots, constant power supply (both grid mains and standby), adequate security for both human and non-human assets, high sanitation standards, full time water supply, self-contained executive offices (6-10 of them) or provisions enabling their set up," reads the advert.

The advert notes that the bidding documents in English may be purchased by interested bidders on the submission of a written application to ministry and the bids must be delivered to the ministry at Workers' House before 11:00am on Thursday March 19.

"Al bids must be accompanied by a bid securing declaration valid until August 30. Late bids shall be rejected. The bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders' representatives who choose to attend at 12:00 noon on Thursday March 19," the advert adds.