Joseph Ayolo, Moroto – Concerned residents of Moroto district have asked the government to constitute a team to investigate the delayed completion of the Shs 5 billion water system in Moroto district.
On November 3rd, 2022, the Ministry of Water and Environment held a groundbreaking ceremony to kickstart the construction works by C & Gandijes Construction Limited at Kakingole village in Katikekile sub-county in Moroto district.
However, since that time, work has stalled, even though it was supposed to be completed this year. Journalists who visited the site under the guidance of local leaders found that the work is currently at only 20% completion, despite the contractor having been partially paid.
Speaking to journalists, Mike Mudong, one of the locals in Kakingole, also blamed the government and the donors who are funding the project for failing to carry out regular monitoring.
“During the days of the first lady, Janet Museveni, as minister for Karamoja, all government and NGO projects were being done accurately and on time because everyone could fear her, but now the region has turned into an area for corruption,” he said.
A high-profile source in the Ministry of Water told this publication that the ministry’s error was to award a contract to the contractor who had no money to kickstart the work in time.
“Our procurement process should be blamed because there were other contractors who had bidded for the work and had their own funds to start, but we don’t know why he was disqualified,” he said.
Clementina Nangiro, another resident, said they had hoped water would be available at the health facility if the project was to be finished.
“We don’t have water at Kakingol Health Center. Patients are given drugs and have to go and swallow them at the river stream due to the lack of clean water at the facility,” she said.
She added that most mothers have also decided to stay away from delivering at the facility due to the lack of water.
According to Nangiro, in most cases, expectant mothers are made to fetch water from the river, 200 meters from the facility, before they are attended to.
Paul Lokut, another resident, said most of the projects sent to Karamoja by the government or NGOs are not benefiting the community but instead are benefiting individual officers.
They also demanded to know what the next steps are for the Shs 14 billion dam in Nakonyen that has stalled. This dam was being constructed by the Ministry of Agriculture, however, the work has stalled at just the bush clearing stage.
