Kalangala, Uganda — As the campaign for the Kalangala by-election for Woman Member of Parliament intensifies, the NRM candidate is facing a big challenge from voters who are using the abandoned Nexus Green project to de-campaign her, claiming government does not feel the pain of islander people.
According to the locals of Nkose and Nkese Islands in Kalangala District, unless President Museveni holds people behind the abandoned project accountable, they will not trust the NRM candidate.
According to information obtained by this publication, there have been several calls by locals demanding immediate government intervention over stalled and failed water projects worth UGX 2.8 billion.
The project, which was launched in 2025 by the Government of Uganda to improve access to clean water in island communities on Lake Victoria, has yet to deliver, leaving residents frustrated and without safe water sources.
They said the contracts for mechanized water systems on both islands were awarded to Nexus Green, with funding from UK Export Finance. The plan aimed to install high-tech water systems across the islands.
On Nkose Island in Mazinga Sub-county, a UGX 1.8 billion project was intended to serve the busy landing sites of Katooke and Lugala. Meanwhile, UGX 1 billion was allocated for a similar system on Nkese Island in Bubeke Sub-county.
Months after the six-month completion period, the systems remain either incomplete or dysfunctional. On Nkose Island, construction stalled before completion, leaving what residents describe as a shell of a project.
Henry Lubulwa from the Kalangala Resident District Commissioner’s office said repeated attempts to engage the contractor have failed.
“We have reminded them several times to return and complete the site, but they have adamantly refused. We do not know whether the project was abandoned altogether,” he said.
On Nkese Island, the system reportedly failed during its first attempt to deliver water. Officials now point to poor technical decisions as the likely cause.
A procurement officer revealed that advice to install the pump in a safer, more suitable location was ignored.
“They chose a risky site because it was cheaper. The system never worked. All that money never benefited our people,” the officer said.
The combined UGX 2.8 billion investment has sparked suspicions of inflated costs, mismanagement, and possible corruption.
With all this frustration, residents promise that on the early morning of 24th June, the date set for the election of the District Woman Representative for Kalangala, the NRM will be voted down should these projects remain the way they are.
