Museveni Orders Minister Katumba Wamala, UNRA Boss Kagina to Give Construction Firm Juicy Road Contracts for Five Road Projects

President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni has issued directives to Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, the Minister of Works and Transport, as well as Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra) Allen Kagina to grant local construction firm Abubaker Technical Services and General Supplies Ltd contracts for a total of five road projects.

The president issued orders in a letter he wrote to Minister Katumba Wamala on November 19.

The directives followed a meeting Museveni held with the proprietors of Abubaker Technical Services and General Supplies Limited.

The company’s proprietors convinced the president about the firm’s experience, talked about their future plans and sought his help in terms of extending contracts.

“I recently met the proprietors of Abubaker Technical Services & General Supplies Ltd, a local construction company wholly owned by indigenous Ugandans who have over the last 19 years built some capacity in construction of roads. They informed me that they have constructed 200 Kms of tarmac roads and 500Kms of first class gravel and currently employing over 1000 Ugandans,” wrote Museveni.

“They further informed me about their ambitious plans, including expanding their operations in other countries like the UAE, where they are already doing some work, in joint venture with Al-Mubarak Contracting, hence creating more jobs for Ugandans. They requested to be supported to do more work here, in order to increase their capacity.”

Museveni has now granted the construction firm five roads contracts. These are contracts for the rehabilitation and construction of Matugga-Semuto-Kapeeka Road (42km), Kampala-Gayaza-Kalagi Road (33km), Mbale-Nkokonjeru Road (21km), Bubulo-Bududa Road (28km) and Lugazi-Buikwe Kiyindi Road (28km).

But he demanded that Katumba Wamala and Kagina ensure that Abubaker Technical Services and Supplies Ltd deliver quality work and give government value for money.

“Therefore, in order to promote local capacity of our construction companies, I direct that UNRA gives this company the opportunity to upgrade and rehabilitate the above mentioned roads,” the president directed.

“Ensure that   quality is not compromised and that the financial terms are favourable to the country as you will be guided by the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.”

This is not the first time Museveni is bypassing procurement rules and ordering government ministries and agencies to award projects contracts to companies of his choice.

Months ago, he directed the ministries of health and education to award all construction project contracts to the UPDF.