Cleric accused of frustrating project

RELIGION|MUSLIMS|ORPHANAGE

The Khadi of Teso Muslim district, Sheikh Asuman Mohamed Ochen, has been accused of trying to frustrate the new Teso Muslim Orphanage Centre project in Soroti city.

The accusation was made during the commissioning of a sh1b orphanage at Camp Swahili in Soroti city.

The facility whose construction lasted two years comprises 10 classrooms, two teachers' boardrooms, six dormitories, 10 self contained teachers' houses and a kitchen.

Abdallah Kaluma, the project director, said the orphanage equipped with 200 beds and was funded by two Turkish organisations — Iddef and Siirtvakfi.

Kaluma said the Turkish organisations are also promising to build primary, secondary and vocational learning institutions if the orphanage project succeeds.

Abdul Karim Oriokot, the project co-ordinator, said he worked with the internal affairs minister, Gen. Jeje Odongo, to lobby for the project to support orphans who lost parents during the wars that rocked Teso.

Oriokot said the centre can accommodate 500 orphans who will get both secular and religious education when schools are reopened by the Government. "The LC1s will help usidentify these beneficiaries," Oriokot said.

The district Khadi did not attend the commissioning of the project which was expected to be presided over by Gen. Odongo, but later the Soroti district LC5 chairperson, Mikairi Egunyu, represented him as a chief guest.

He said the district Khadi also attempted to block the commissioning of the project, but Odongo who is a patron of the orphanage, gave them the go-ahead.

Haji Abdallah Abudarhaman, the treasurer of the district's main mosque, who represented the Muslim elders, claimed that the khadi had asked for sh3m to allow the construction of the orphanage.

However, the district Khadi denied the accusations. He said the project co-ordinators did not adhere to the procedures that govern the building process.

"The facility has no building plan, no bill of quantities and was poorly built. In case that building collapses, I will be answerable," Ochen said.

Zeki Akyuzlu, the representative of the Turkish donors said over the last five years, they have focused on supporting Ugandan projects including drilling boreholes, mosques and schools.