Time to crack the whip on the corrupt
May 13, 2009
A top official of the works ministry has been charged with negligence of duty for allegedly failing to supervise the road construction works ahead of the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
A top official of the works ministry has been charged with negligence of duty for allegedly failing to supervise the road construction works ahead of the 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
Samson Bagonza, the engineer-in-chief, faces up to five years in jail and becomes the first suspect to face trial over CHOGM on which sh270b was spent.
President Yoweri Museveni was the first to express dissatisfaction with the shoddy road works in the run-up to the historic event and ordered a value-for-money audit of the whole project.
A preliminary report by the auditor general showed that procurement procedures were flouted and costs were inflated for the different roads. The CHOGM road contracts, amounting to sh21b, were found not to have been awarded through competitive bidding, thus denying the Government the benefit of competitive pricing and quality.
Ugandan taxpayers strongly feel they have been taken for a ride and it is time a clear message is sent to make corruption no longer rewarding.
While Bagonza has pleaded innocent and is trying to pass the buck, those in authority should know that delegating duties does not remove the responsibility of those in charge. Many CHOGM projects, including roads, remain uncompleted to date although payments have been made in full.
The Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority found no records of contracts signed with the companies that repaired the roads. No wonder the companies, after cashing their cheques, did shoddy work or abandoned the project. This level of laxity should not be allowed to continue and the officials responsible should be held accountable and liable for the loss.
But like with the Global Fund and GAVI Fund scandals, it should not only be the small fish that are netted. Museveni, in a letter to the prime minister last year, vowed to crack down on senior Government leaders whom he accused of colluding with private contractors. The message should not only be that corruption is criminal, but also that people are treated equally under the law.
Samson Bagonza, the engineer-in-chief, faces up to five years in jail and becomes the first suspect to face trial over CHOGM on which sh270b was spent.
President Yoweri Museveni was the first to express dissatisfaction with the shoddy road works in the run-up to the historic event and ordered a value-for-money audit of the whole project.
A preliminary report by the auditor general showed that procurement procedures were flouted and costs were inflated for the different roads. The CHOGM road contracts, amounting to sh21b, were found not to have been awarded through competitive bidding, thus denying the Government the benefit of competitive pricing and quality.
Ugandan taxpayers strongly feel they have been taken for a ride and it is time a clear message is sent to make corruption no longer rewarding.
While Bagonza has pleaded innocent and is trying to pass the buck, those in authority should know that delegating duties does not remove the responsibility of those in charge. Many CHOGM projects, including roads, remain uncompleted to date although payments have been made in full.
The Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority found no records of contracts signed with the companies that repaired the roads. No wonder the companies, after cashing their cheques, did shoddy work or abandoned the project. This level of laxity should not be allowed to continue and the officials responsible should be held accountable and liable for the loss.
But like with the Global Fund and GAVI Fund scandals, it should not only be the small fish that are netted. Museveni, in a letter to the prime minister last year, vowed to crack down on senior Government leaders whom he accused of colluding with private contractors. The message should not only be that corruption is criminal, but also that people are treated equally under the law.