Standard Gauge Railway probe given more time

Mar 03, 2015

The probe into allegations of influence peddling in awarding the contract for construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) has been granted a three week extension.



By Cyprian Musoke

The probe into allegations of influence peddling in awarding the contract for construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) has been granted a three week extension.


The communication dated Thursday 26th February 2015, means the probe will last till March 20.

“We are going to interface with consultants who were contracted by ministry of Works on what they came up with in the feasibility study-they had to fly in their expatriates from German with who they did the study,” the probe Committee Chairman Eng. Kafeero Ssekitoleko told New Vision.

He said the Speaker Rebecca Kadaga has already written to him granting the committee permission to carry on work for another three weeks.

In a letter he showed New Vision, the duration of the Select Committee “has been occasioned by the need to do a though job before presenting our report to the House.”

“Our mandate was to expire by end of February but before its end, I wrote to the Speaker asking for three more weeks,” Ssekitoleko added.

He said the committee needed to get more Information from the Chinese Government and there was therefore, need for more time so that their report is conclusive.

“We sought for more information from the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of China but they have not yet responded. We seek for three more weeks as we await this information before we present the report”, Kafeero Ssekitoleko said.

The Select Committee was constituted by the Speaker of Parliament following a Motion in Parliament calling for an investigation into issues surrounding the procurement of contractors the Standard Gauge Railway in Uganda.

The Committee visited China in January 2015 on a fact finding mission which saw the Members hold meetings with the three construction companies to establish their capabilities to construct the standard gauge railway.

The Select Committee is composed of MPs Maxwell Akora (UPC, Maruzi),  Clement Ongalo Obote (NRM, Kalaki), Rosemary Nyakikongoro ( Sheema district), Patrick Amuriat (FDC, Kumi), Xavier Kyooma (NRM, Ibanda North) and Suzan Amero (NRM, Amuria district).  

 

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