Bukwo Resident District Commissioner, Samuel Mpimbaza Hashaka has stopped the commissioning of six newly built maternity wards in six health centres citing shoddy works and corruption.
The maternity wards are found in Mutshet health center in Mutshet sub-county, Chepkwasita health center in Chepkwasita sub-county, Brim health center in Brim sub-county, Amanang health center in Amanang sub-county, Kwirwot health center in Suam town council and Kamet health center in Kamet sub-county.
The commissioning of the maternity wards was scheduled for different days this weekend but the RDC halted the move, saying the wards have cracked walls and falling ceilings. The health centers were constructed under the Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfer project-UGIFT with a loan from the World Bank.
According to Hasahaka, Mutshet health center was constructed in FY 2018/2019 but to date it’s incomplete and the Contractor, Geomax construction limited abandoned the work. Chepkwasita health center in Chepkwasita sub-county was constructed in the FY 2020/2021 but the entire building has developed gaping cracks.
He notes that Brim health center in Brim sub-county was constructed in the FY2020/2021 but the ceiling is falling while Amanang health center in Amanang sub-county and Kwirwot health center in Suam town council were constructed in the FY 2019/2020 but the contractors abandoned them.
“We can’t commission these shoddy works, the contractors must redo the work,” he said. Joel Mangusho, a resident of Chepkwasita village, said that they were also not ready to receive a health facility with cracks around it.
“Even if we have not gone to school, but really there is no value for the money at Chepkwasita health center,” he said. Betty Chelimo, another resident said the ceiling in the maternity wards at Brim health center was falling alone.
“Corruption in Bukwo district has really caused people to miss out on government projects,” she said. Francis Agaba, the Executive director of Geomax engineering limited who’s among the contractor accused of shoddy work and abandoning Mutshet’s maternity ward blamed COVID-19 for the delayed completion of the works.