Obua cautions contractor over high altitude training centre delays

State minister for sports Hamson Obua has given Chinese company Complant up to June 30, 2021, to complete the first phase of the Stephen Kiprotich High Altitude Training Centre in Teryet, Kapchorwa, or face having the contract cancelled.

Obua gave the ultimatum on Friday after inspecting the facility that was meant to have phase one completed by January 19, 2019.

The first phase includes a six-lane running track, hostel, 3.2km jogging track, gatehouse, water reservoir, and site roads, but none of these are complete despite several extensions of the completion period.

“No more extensions shall be granted. We rather say thank you for the work so far done and get another contractor,” an irritated Obua said.

“We cannot do work for two years in 15 years and any person with Uganda at heart cannot accept this. I want you to also avail us with relevant documents so that we fast-track the project,” an upset Obua added. 

The contractors were given the first extensions from January 19 to June 30 2020 and then added another extension from June 30 to December 31, 2020, before the third extension from December 31, 2020, to June 31, 2021.

“Three extensions are enough and I cannot keep coming here to start calling suppliers and asking why they have not honoured their obligations,” Obua added.

Obua’s dismay arose from the inconsistencies of the explanations given by the project engineer from the contractor Wang Jian Wei, when even the wardrobes in the hostel were not fixed and some materials strewn on the floor.

He was forced to call the supplier who also denied being responsible for fitting the wardrobes.

Wang cited the poor road, the coronavirus pandemic outbreak, curfews, lack of power, delayed payment by the government, and the lack of water supply as some of the things that affected their work to run smoothly as expected.

However, the project consultant Jasper Kyomukama refuted those claims adding that payments are done after completion of a certain stage and that the contractor was paid for water and it’s not the ministry to give water.

The multi-purpose sports complex standing at 2573 metres above sea level was budgeted to cost sh17.6bn but costs have shot up due to the delays.