In a letter dated the 21st of September 2023, the Alebtong district boss, DK Odongo, has temporarily suspended the district procurement process, particularly concerning the award of contracts for FY 2023/2024, due to suspected irregularities.
He addressed the media during a briefing on Thursday, the 21st of September 2023, from Alebtong district headquarters, stating that the technical evaluation process for contract awards has been suspended until further notice.
Dan Kennedy Odongo, who also chairs the Lango sub-region LCV and mayor’s forums, confirmed that he has written to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) while holding a copy of the letter in his hand. He emphasized that this action has been taken to ensure transparency in the award of contracts in Alebtong district Local government.
According to DK, he has not taken this step to disrupt the procurement process, but rather to ensure that the procurement process is conducted with integrity, fairness, and within the legal framework. He also cited regulations 32(a), 34(1), (e), 37(2), (3), (4), (6), 45, 48, and others of the aforementioned Act,” DK added.
He expressed concern that such a scenario, if not corrected, could lead to serious losses for Alebtong. There is a likelihood of key regulations being violated, as per the PPDA, according to the Alebtong chairman.
Secondly, the technical evaluation committee was not approved by the contract committee, as required by the law. DK expressed concern over the rumors circulating and warned that if not corrected, it could compromise the standards and quality of the procurement process. “The Local Government Act Cap 243, section 13(1), (b), (c), (e), (2), (3), (4) empowers him to supervise service delivery and oversee local government staff working in Alebtong district,” he added.
Odongo warned and ordered a fresh start to the technical evaluation process in line with the procurement process.
Attempts to reach the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Alebtong were futile, as his known phone number went unanswered by press time.
