UNFINISHED UPDF PROJECT CAUSES FINGER POINTING IN TEREGO DISTRICT

The unfinished blocks nearing completion at Aripea Secondary School awaiting the UPDF Engineering Brigade. Photo by Erema George

By Erema George

Arua City

 The 579 million Shs project under the Uganda People Defence Force (UPDF) Engineering Brigade at Aripea Secondary School in Terego District has continued to face setbacks with stakeholders now pointing fingers at each other.

The works on the fully funded first phase Adaptable project Loan (APL1) Project came to a standstill since July last year when the UPDF Engineering Brigade allegedly abandoned the site with promises to return in August 2025 which to date has been in vain.

 The administration now shifts blame on the District leadership for allegedly failing to intervene in the follow-up of the contractor despite submitting all documents to the District.

Head teacher Benerd Aguta laments that;

“All the important offices in the district, including the political, particularly the district chairman, the civil ,the office of the CAO, even the DEO are aware of the project’s stagnation and I think the best office in the District to make the follow up of this is the office of the RDC, he is aware”

“I have given all the contacts of all the important persons such as the engineering department of the UPDF, the site engineer and the people who came on ground to supervise from the state house but I even as the Head teacher don’t understand why the project cannot move from this stage,” He added.

According to him, with the school being one of the closes  to the headquarters, he doesn’t  think the district would just look at the whole thing as it is.

“For the ministry they have done their part because all the funds that are needed for this project have been disbursed to the UPDF, why they are not coming on ground to complete the project is something I personally fail to understand. However that doesn’t stop the district and everyone from making follow up because we very much need them to come back and complete the project.” The head teacher Aguta lamented.

In response, the Resident District Commissioner of Terego District, David Kididi Bagakayo, dismissed the allegations noting that the school management has not notified his office about the project.

 “I’ve not met any complaints regarding that. Even the school management has not come to my office. I don’t know why they are claiming that. Maybe I can start following it up because if you are to follow up something you first have to get a complaint,” Kididi maintained.

 On the other hand, the District Chairperson Wildfired Saka blames the UPDF Engineering Brigade for undertaking an overwhelming number of projects.

“The challenge is the UPDF is overwhelmed with works that have been given to them. They have too much to chew. The government has given them too many contracts and this is where the problem is. But I think it’s becoming a disservice because they are over stressed, people need to use these classrooms and they are not now being completed and this is affecting quality of work. The contractor, UPDF, their control is not in our hands. When we follow up they tell us we’re coming in two weeks’ time, we’re now organizing ourselves etc.” Saka said.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in the Parliament on February 27th during a committee sitting formally criticized the UPDF Engineering Brigade for leaving multiple construction projects incomplete and the committee labeled Aripea Secondary School an “abandoned initiative”.

But Hon Saka criticized PAC branding them noise makers;

“I have a problem with those people called PAC. They are just noise makers. They come to districts like this to review accountabilities where the auditor general has reported. Have you seen any tangible thing they have done in Terego here? That PAC in my opinion are a useless institution running around the country to poster themselves as people who are working when actually they are just hungry wolves looking for survival.”

The 579,921,050 million UgShs project funded by the World Bank through the Ministry of Education and sports included preliminary works, two units science laboratory block completion, three classroom block and two classroom block completion as well as 5 stance lined VIP Latrine block completion.

However, Several calls made to the contractor have not yielded results as promises to return at the site for the completion of the work have not been fulfilled leaving the stakeholders with many questions unanswered.