District leaders in Kyegegwa have raised concern over the continued awarding of contracts to single contractors who later fail to deliver.
Some are said to be abandoning the sites while in some cases money is returned to the treasury before the completion of projects.
According to the chief administrative officer for Kyegegwa understaffing is also failing them with the district missing a number of heads of departments thus being unable to deliver.
Four years ago, the Government of Uganda partnered with the World Bank to facilitate the Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers Program commonly known as UGIFT with the aim of funding a number of sub-projects like schools, advancement of health facilities, support of farmers with modern agricultural irrigation schemes among others.
For example, in Kyegegwa Ruyonza sub-County and Rwentuha sub counties were earmarked for a seed secondary school. This is in addition to Ihimbabiniga primary school at Kyaka refugee settlement camp, and small-scale irrigation schemes to promote agricultural farmers all worth billions.
While interfacing with the Support World Bank mission and Government of Uganda delegations who are carrying out monitoring of the infrastructural sub-projects and institutional developments in the local Governments in Hoima and Kyegegwa, District leaders in Kyegegwa led by their chief administrative officer John Betungura linked the delay in completion of these projects to contractors abandoning sites due to VAT taxes that was not considered at the award of contracts.
The leaders also accuse the government of awarding hybrid contracts to single companies which in turn fail to deliver on time yet some have no capacity and later funds are returned to the treasury.
Betungura also adds that the district is understaffed to the extent that they have no internal auditors and chief finance officer.
Barbra Magezi Ndamira the World Bank lead officer says their visit was intended to ascertain the project's progress and challenges.
The Kyegegwa Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Monica Karungi says it hurts her to see a number of structures constructed during the former presidents Idi Amin and Dr. Milton Obote's time yet money set aside by the current Government is swindled.
It can also be remembered that the World Bank issued a statement that no more funding will be channelled to Uganda after December 31st 2023.