Govt loses sh5b to school thefts

By Moses Walubiri and Mary Karugaba

The Auditor General has queried botched construction and renovation works in 15 schools. Nearly sh5b went down the drain.

According to detailed field inspection findings in the AG’s latest report, construction worth sh4.98b was deemed shoddy and below the standards spelt out in the contracts.

From constructing weak structures that endangered the lives of students, to using substandard materials in order to cut costs, to flouting of procurement, to outright reluctance to start projects even after disbursement of the first installment, the AG inspection team found veritable poor workmanship.

According to the report, a total of sh200m was disbursed to St Edward Secondary School, Bukumi for the construction of a Science Block, Arts Block, A level Block and the Biology laboratory.

Inspection revealed that the biology lab and Senior Five blocks had developed cracks upon completion in September 2011. The AG also decried the poor quality of the timber used to make the biology lab table.

The AG also queried the delivery and usage of building materials worth sh120.5m bought by the school whose evidence could not be verified due to the absence of stores and site records.

In Nyakasura School, sh100m expended on the renovation of the Biology lab and A Level Block went down the drain as the verandah of the lab had already developed cracks. Also usage of building material worth sh46.5m couldn’t be verified due to absence of store records.

Eastern region

At Busikho PTC, the sh568.4m meant for the construction of an administration block, semi-detached tutors’ house block, dormitory, showers and a seven-stance VIP pit latrine by a local firm was wasted as the AG found another example of poor work.

The AG noted that all the roofs were leaking, timber used for roofing not preserved and poor quality locks fixed on doors.

At Butiti PTC, the AG queried sh274.8m paid to M/S Deccan for construction of a dormitory block, six-stance VIP latrine and students’ showers.

The hinges for the window shutters looked weak, while the VIP toilets were constructed under heavy duty electricity grid lines.

Bushenyi district

The school had contracted M/S Kinombe Nyaruzinga Construction Co. Ltd to construct classrooms, repair the administration block and supply furniture.

At Bushenyi Core PTC, the contractor used windows and doors of “a weak gauge” on students’ dormitories, showers and VIP pit latrines. Done by an unnamed local firm, the work cost sh254.7m.

The AG similarly discovered shoddy renovation work of the Physics, Chemistry and Biology laboratories at Comboni College, which cost sh100m.

For example, the floor in the Chemistry lab had developed cracks. The roof was leaking, the tables had not been varnished as specified in the contract and neither were they engraved.

Besides, the bank guarantee supporting the advance payment of 40M was not availed for verification.

Bunyoro region

In Bunyoro, the education ministry gave out sh300m to Sir Tito Winyi Secondary School for renovation works on two classrooms by a local contractor, M/S MUKA Investment (U) Ltd at a price of sh90.6m. The ministry also paid sh172.2m for a library block.

Although the project was behind schedule by eight months, the AG found that the ceiling had already caved in, indicating a lack of value for money.

The AG also stumbled upon irregular payment of sh6.9m as 5% supervision cost to the employer, contrary to the advice given by the Ministry engineer against such payments.

Bundibugyo district

At Bundibugyo Primary Teachers’ College (PTC), the audit inspection found shoddy work in the sh174.7m construction of a classroom block.

The AG queried why the institution contracted a company with a bad record as evidenced by the poor state of the administration block and the principal’s residence, which were done by the same firm in 2006.

At Bundikahungu Seed School, sh166.9m out of sh359.8m was disbursed to construct two blocks of two classrooms each, two units of laboratories, an administration block, two VIP pit latrines and two blocks of five stance VIP pit latrines.

Started in April 2010 and meant to be completed in January 2011, the audit inspectors found the project 10 months behind schedule in November 2011. The two stance VIP pit latrine was at the slab level with an open hole that was dangerous to the community.

Northern Uganda

The pattern of waste and shoddy work continued in other areas, including northern Uganda.

The major shambolic construction work was done at Lagoro Seed Secondary.

The education ministry disbursed sh559m for the construction of two classroom blocks, two units of laboratory science blocks, two blocks of five-stance VIP pit latrines, one block of two-stance VIP pit latrine and an administration block.

When inspected, the team found cracks in the head teacher’s office, staff room and the Senior One block, poorly fixed doors and of a poor gauge, union locks fixed on the administration block instead of the mortice locks that had been quoted and two gas cylinders of 25kg each, instead of the specified four of 45kg each.

The Auditor General also discovered that sh100m was given out to Gulu High School without guidance on the kind of activities to be implemented.

The school administration, therefore, went on a whimsical procurement of a 27KV generator at sh47.8m and constructed a generator house at sh4m.

The AG faulted this expenditure of money from the capital development fund on account that it should have been given to schools in dire financial need.

Kigezi sub-region

In the greater Kigezi region, sh276.5m for construction of a two classroom block, completion of a library block and supply of furniture to Kisoro PTC seem to have gone down the drain as the AG inspection team found shambolic work.

The floor in one of the classrooms had started cracking before being handed over, while that in the other classroom was not smooth as specified in the contract. Preservatives on the timber used for roofing was done “poorly”, while the verandahs that were meant to be furnished with two coats of bituminous paint had been ignored as the contractor sought to save money.

At Kabale Bukinda Core PTC, M/S Pearl Engineering Company Ltd had a running contract of sh3.75b to rehabilitate old and construct new structures. And during the year in review, sh1.4b was disbursed to the contractor as final payment upon completion of the project.

But a startled AG audit team found the most shambolic of works despite this being the most expensive project under education institutions renovations.

The sinks at the ladies end, for example, were stained, yet they had been used for a very short time.

Work at the lower part of the washing places was incomplete and cracks had developed within the terrazzo finishing. Almost all the pipes connecting the sinks to the sewerage system were broken.

The AG also noted that the ladies’ and boys’ dormitories had their inner walls’ paint peeling off and the poorly drainage system was a potential health hazard.

The team also found the inner walls of the main hall to have developed cracks with its outer finishing peeling off.

At Ruyonza Seed Secondary School (Ntungamo), the situation wasn’t any better with doors fixed to the toilet deemed “weak” by the inspection team, and one had already broken.

Also, the gutters at the laboratory were not well fixed and were leaking, especially at the gas room.

All this came at a cost of sh365.2m, which had been disbursed as a down payment out of the contract sum of sh400m.

The AG also uncovered some suspect procurement in the sh100m renovation works at Makobore High School. There was no evidence that the procurement was done in adherence to the PPDA rules and there were no documents to aid verification of work done.