Parliament moves to investigate Tondeka buses deal 

DEVELOPMENT

KAMPALA - The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga Thursday directed the trade and industry committee of parliament to investigate reports about procurement buses codenamed Tondeka buses.

Kadaga's directive was a response to the matter of national concern raised by the Fort Portal municipality Member of Parliament Alex Ruhunda on plans for KCCA to procure buses from India.

"Madam Speaker, I have been following your good guidance on Buy Uganda, Build Uganda. It has come to our attention that KCCA is planning to procure 1000 buses from India yet last year the president commissioned a bus assembling industry at Namanve where they are able to make 50 buses per day."

The MP, who is a former chairman for the parliament trade and industry committee, said the owners of the bus assembling plant at Namanve are Ugandans who will create more jobs for Ugandans.

"They have all the necessary equipment to produce the buses. We cannot make Indians rich at the expense of Ugandans," Ruhunda stated.

Rugunda asked the Speaker of Parliament to issue a directive and task a committee of parliament to investigate the matter.

In her response, the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga said, "As Ugandans, we should strive to promote our country. If we import from India, we would be promoting Indian companies at the expense of Uganda."

The Speaker tasked the trade and industry committee to investigate the matter and report back to parliament next week.

Reports indicate that about 980 Tondeka buses are scheduled to start operating in Greater Kampala areas covering Kampala, Mpigi, Wakiso, and Mukono in September 2020.

The Lord Mayor of Kampala Erias Lukwago Thursday told the New Vision that he has also been asking various government officials on details regarding the Tondeka bus deal, but they could not avail him with details on the ownership of the company and the procurement deal.

Lukwago said he got reports that the buses are being procured using money borrowed by Uganda government from the Exim Bank of China on behalf of a private company.

"There is every indication that it is a dubious deal. It is a mystery. They want to bring buses without a plan and without a project proposal. They should have used the proper channels of advertising it and calling for bids to open it up for competition," Lukwago argued.

 Meanwhile, Kashari County MP Nathan Twesigye raised concern on the absence of security lights on most of the streets of the country which he said jeopardizes the security of Ugandans in Kampala.

"CCTV cameras were installed. I don't think that at night those cameras can work in darkness. Kampala is the capital city of Uganda. I don't know whether the minister for Kampala is sleeping on job," Twesigye stated.

Arguing that lighting is very important for people's security in the city, the Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga directed that next week on Tuesday the minister for Kampala presents to parliament a statement on the status of lighting.