Kabale District officials have instructed Fleco Holdings Limited to meet the management of Bigaaga Primary School and the foundation body to address outstanding defects on a newly constructed classroom block before the defects liability period expires.
The directive was issued during the commissioning of the project in Butanda Sub-county, where school administrators and representatives of the foundation body raised concerns about the quality of work and the overall implementation of the project.
School Management Committee chairperson Mathias Turihohabwe said the committee was denied access to the project’s Bills of Quantities, raising questions about compliance with the approved designs.
“The contractor followed the approved specifications. I don’t know if the building dimensions match the designs,” Turihohabwe said, questioning the final workmanship.
The project overseer and Rubaya Church of Uganda Parish Priest, Rev. Dickens Tukamuhabwa, who represented the foundation body, said the school supplied the contractor with kiln-burnt bricks that have not been paid for.
Kabale District Chairperson Denis Nzeirwe directed the school committee and project overseer to submit their concerns in writing to the Resident District Commissioner’s office for a formal investigation. He also said he was not satisfied that the contractor had fully met required standards in relation to building dimensions and workmanship.
“The district had already told the contractor to fix several defects, including rough chalkboards, poor floor finishing, substandard paintwork, and walls needing further work,” Nzeirwe said.
He also called for stricter vetting of contractors before the awarding of public contracts, saying proper assessment of technical and financial capacity is essential to ensure quality delivery of government projects.
Kabale Resident District Commissioner Maj. Godfrey Katamba said the contractor’s final payment will only be released after the school management, project overseer and district technical team confirm that all defects have been corrected.
“There is need for mandatory site meetings during project implementation to prevent shoddy work and ensure value for public funds,” Katamba said.
