Contractor faces trouble after Kikuube RDC rejects allegedly shoddy school project
According to Angalia, he refused to commission the school after he found that the classroom structure had cracks on the floor and walls.
Kikuube District Resident Commissioner Godwine Angalia (second left) inspects the structure before declining to commission the facility. (Credit: Peter Abaanabasazi)
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KIKUUBE — A contractor, who was awarded a contract to carry out the renovation of Kibararu primary school in Buhimba sub-county, Kikuube district, is in trouble after the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Godwine Angalia, declined to commission the project over alleged shoddy work.
Kikuube district contracted Ruphette Partners limited to renovate four classroom blocks at a cost of sh149m. The works included replacing the roof, floor, construction of a five-stance pit latrine and installation of a water tank.
However, the contractor's trouble started when a team of district officials led by RDC Angalia went to commission the classrooms and discovered substandard work done on the project.
According to Angalia, he refused to commission the school after he found that the classroom structure had cracks on the floor and walls.
“What was on the ground was contradicting the engineer’s report. The engineer's report indicated that construction had been completed but actually it was not complete,” he told New Vision online on Tuesday.
Angalia refused to commission the project and gave the contractor two weeks to rectify the defects before the project gets commissioned. He added that works did not depict sh149m, which had been spent on the project.
“The quality of the construction and renovation was not good, yet we gave him a lot of money, sh149m. So, I directed the contractor to rectify the defects so that the works fit the sh149m as per the bill of quantities,” he said.
Angalia warned all contractors implementing different projects in the district to desist from producing shoddy work, adding that as a government project monitor, he will not tolerate any contractor producing shoddy work. "We need to ensure value for the taxpayers' money."
Projects commissioned
The commissioned facilities include a five-stance pit latrine at Rusaka Primary School and two classroom blocks at Mukabara Primary School in Kiziranfumbi Sub-County.
Others are; two classroom blocks at Katanga Primary School in Bugambe Sub-County, four classroom blocks and a four-unit staff house at Bugambe Primary School, a two-stance pit latrine with washrooms at Ruguse Primary School in Bugambe Sub- County, as well as four classroom blocks and five-stance pit latrines at Omugo and Bisereko Primary Schools in Buhimba sub-county.
Kikuube district deputy district Chief Administrative Officer Canon Edward Musingye said they were excited about the renovation of the schools, adding that the former state of the school structures had been a compromising learning environment for the pupils.
He challenged school managers to properly use the structures and guard them against vandalism.
Kikuube district Chairperson Paddy Kisembo called on parents and teachers to play their role to ensure better education performance now that government has improved the learning environment of the schools.