The delayed handover of the Hoima slaughterhouse (abattoir) has drawn sharp criticism from Maj Martha Asiimwe, head of the Resident District Commissioners (RDC) Secretariat in the Office of the President, who blamed government workers for failing to deliver services on time.
Maj Asiimwe made the remarks during a monitoring exercise on service delivery in the Bunyoro sub-region at the Kihemba Village abattoir in Hoima city.
She expressed frustration over the delayed commissioning of the project, warning that the setback has caused losses in business opportunities and employment for both government and local communities.
“I know what you do. You only become active whenever the president is coming to the region just to appease him,” Asiimwe said.
“Our president is a good president, so don’t turn down his efforts towards elevating service delivery. This habit must stop.”
She urged leaders at all levels to ensure government projects are completed and handed over promptly for community use. She further called for unity among political, technical, and community leaders, stressing that collaboration is essential to improving service delivery.
Responding to the concerns, Moses Muyambi, Hoima City East Resident City Commissioner, attributed the delay to pending works requested by the Ministry of Agriculture.
“The slaughterhouse lacked a generator, water supply, and other key facilities. We could not hand it over without these critical services,” he explained.
Muyambi added that the contracted company, Potens Telecoms Energy Construction, has assured completion within a month.
The abattoir, costing Uganda Shs2.6 billion, was initially scheduled for handover last year by International Construction Corporation (CICO) after a two-year construction period.
However, the missing facilities are now being installed at an additional cost of Shs600 million, according to Bonaventure Kiiza, Hoima City Engineer.
Besides inspecting the slaughterhouse, the monitoring team also visited other government projects including Buhanika Seed Secondary School, Buhanika Health Centre III, and various road projects within Hoima City East Division.