The project for the construction of staff quarters at Nkongooro Health Centre II in Kamwenge Sub-county, which began in August 2023, was intended to address the acute shortage of accommodation for health workers at the facility.
However, delays left the building unfinished for over a year, forcing staff to travel long distances.
Ezra Nteziyaremye, the in-charge of Nkongooro HC II, said the prolonged delays have had a serious impact on staff.
“The project was supposed to be completed within six months, but more than a year later, it has not been handed over. Some of our staff still trek long distances because we don’t have enough housing at the facility,” he explained.
The stalled project has drawn scrutiny from district leaders and watchdog organizations, including the Rwenzori Anti-Corruption Coalition (RAC).
During a recent Kamwenge District People’s Parliament Forum organized by RAC, members inspected the facility and expressed frustration over the unfinished works.
Gerald Twebaze, chairperson of the RAC Board of Governors, urged immediate intervention.
“We call on the district leadership to conduct a serious inquiry. This project must be completed and handed over so it serves its intended purpose. Health workers cannot continue suffering while public resources lie idle,” he said.
Kamwenge Chief Administrative Officer Harriet Katusime acknowledged that earlier promises to deliver the project by August had not been met.
“I engaged them, and they committed to completing the project, but this has not happened. I will follow up to determine what went wrong and when the facility will finally be handed over,” she said.
When contacted, an officer at the rank of a Lieutenant only identified as Rodgers, attached to the UPDF engineering brigade as a project manager, admitted that internal challenges contributed to the delays.
“The staff house was almost complete, but we expect to address the remaining issues soon,” he said, declining to provide his full name.
As the work prepares to resume, health workers at Nkongooro HC II continue to face accommodation challenges, which district authorities say must be resolved without further delay.