NAADS to procure 250 new pickups for soldiers

Dec 10, 2014

The National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) is to procure 250 double cabin pickup motor vehicles to help in monitoring of agricultural activities countrywide. According to a bid notice signed by NAADS executive director Dr. Samuel Mugasi, NAADS has received funds from the Government of Ugan

By Chris Kiwawulo                          

The National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) is to procure 250 double cabin pickup motor vehicles to help in monitoring of agricultural activities countrywide.


According to a bid notice signed by NAADS executive director Dr. Samuel Mugasi, NAADS has received funds from the Government of Uganda to be used for the acquisition of 250 4X4 Double Cabin Pickup Motor Vehicles.

When contacted, Mugasi said the old fleet of vehicles had become old and they were procuring new ones to replace them for NAADS activities.

Asked whether the vehicles were for soldiers who recently replaced the disbanded NAADS coordinators, Mugasi could neither deny nor confirm before he hung up. However, impeccable sources revealed that the vehicles will be for soldiers who are going to monitor agricultural activities under NAADS.

“The vehicles will be for the UPDF officers deployed in all constituencies (238) plus some of their leaders who will be stationed at the NAADS headquarters in Kampala,” the source revealed but could not readily establish how much had been budgeted for the new vehicles.

However, a quick check with Toyota Uganda established that each of the brand new 4X4 Double Cabin Pickup Motor Vehicles costs about $44,000 (sh122m) on the road; implying that the 250 vehicles would cost about sh30.5b.

The source revealed that the old fleet was 112 vehicles since every district had a vehicle for the NAADS coordinator. He said after disbanding NAADS and the coordinators, the vehicles have since been handed over to the respective district chief administrative officers to help in coordinating agricultural activities.

According to NAADS’ bid notice, sealed bids from eligible bidders were invited for the provision of the vehicles which are to be supplied in three lots. “No bidder is supposed to bid for more than two lots and no bidder shall be awarded a contract for more than one lot,” the notice states.

A total of 84 pickups are expected to be supplied in the first lot and thereafter 83 vehicles will be delivered in each of the remaining two lots. Interested bidders were asked to submit bid securities depending on the lot applied for. The first lot of 84 pickups attracts a bid security of sh135m while each of the other two lots (84 pickups each) attracts a bid security of sh134m.

“The bidding documents in English may be purchased by interested bidders on the submission of a written application to NAADS and upon payment of a non-refundable fee of sh278,400 or $100. The method of payment will be by cash after receipt of a Bank Payment Advice Form from [the] NAADS Secretariat,” the instructions read in part. The bids will be opened on January 19, 2015.

During President Yoweri Museveni’s countrywide tours between late 2010 and early 2011, he received numerous complaints from farmers in most rural areas countrywide, saying they had never received NAADS funding.

Museveni commissioned an investigation which found several cases of missing and diverted funds, prompting him to disband NAADS early this year.

The President instead handed the coordination role to the army with each of the 238 constituencies having one soldier deployed to monitor government programmes. The army team will be led by Brig. Elly Kayanja.

Consequently, the Agriculture ministry early this year disbanded the NAADS programme structures in all districts to pave way for the implementation of the single spine extension system.

According to the agriculture minister; Tress Bucyanayandi, the move is aimed at reducing on the amount of money previously squandered on wages, workshops and seminars.    

The agriculture ministry’s permanent secretary; Vincent Rubarema made the communication to the coordinators through the chief administrative officers on July 7, 2014.

“Expiring contracts for all NAADS staff should not be renewed while those who still have running contracts should be issued with notice of termination of contract, within the appropriate provisions of their contracts,” reads the letter in parts.

With an estimated 1,364 sub-counties in the 112 districts in the country including the five divisions of Kampala Capital City Authority, it means the move to disband the programme affected about 4,204 technical people.                                     

 

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