UGANDA, Wakiso | Real Muloodi News | The Wakiso Resident District Commissioner, Ms. Justine Mbabazi, has directed the arrest of works engineer Aziz Abdallah for allegedly engaging in illegal construction activities at Balibaseka Secondary School. The arrest order was issued on January 15 during a routine project monitoring visit to the school.
“I have called police to have Eng. Aziz arrested immediately. This is government money which needs to be accounted for. You cannot start constructing before groundbreaking,” Ms. Mbabazi stated. “My work is to monitor the implementation of government projects, and I will not tolerate any mismanagement of funds.”
The allegations focus on the construction of a new classroom block and a five-stance pit latrine, neither of which was included in the original project plan. Initially, the project’s scope was limited to renovating two classroom blocks. However, the engineers reportedly decided to construct a new block instead.
“I have seen the pit latrine is already constructed, but in the letter that invited me, you said we were doing groundbreaking. I’m also seeing a new structure under construction instead of renovations,” Ms. Mbabazi noted during her visit.
The project’s budget is USh189 million, with USh30 million allocated for the pit latrine and USh159 million for the classroom block and desks.
Wakiso District Education Officer Mr. Fredrick Kiyingi explained that the decision to construct a new classroom block was made due to the deteriorated state of the existing buildings.
“We realised that renovating the old classroom blocks would not be feasible, so we decided to construct a new block. However, we should have waited for the groundbreaking ceremony before commencing construction,” Mr. Kiyingi acknowledged.
Engineer Aziz Abdallah defended his actions, stating that his responsibilities were limited to overseeing the project, while financial matters were handled by the District Education Officer. He also claimed that the contractor’s work had been delayed by one and a half months.
“I was not around because the meeting was fixed when I had traveled. I couldn’t delegate my colleague if I was in hiding,” Aziz said in response to the allegations.
Chief Administrative Officer Mr. Alfred Malinga suggested that the delays in the groundbreaking ceremony could be attributed to the RDC’s office.
“We have a number of projects in different schools. Some have started, and others are yet to start. If we are to have groundbreaking events, it will take us two months,” he explained.
Busiro North Member of Parliament Mr. Paul Nsubuga emphasized the importance of transparency in managing public funds.
“Taxpayer’s money should not be misused. We need to ensure that funds are used efficiently and effectively,” he stated.
Balibaseka Secondary School, established in 2005 with an initial enrollment of seven students, now accommodates 1,400 learners. The school has faced persistent infrastructure challenges, and the construction of new classroom blocks and latrines is expected to improve the learning environment significantly.
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