ARUA CENTRAL DIVISION STARTS CONSTRUCTION OF UGX 10Bn HEADQUARTERS

Architectural design of the proposed new Arua Central Division headquarters.

By Dramadri Federick

Arua City

After waiting for two years for the relocation of Arua District headquarters to Vurra, Arua Central Division has officially commenced the construction of its own permanent headquarters at the proposed City Hospital site in Oli.

The UGX 10 billion four-storey administrative block will be constructed by Ashanty Business Services Uganda Limited and is expected to provide a permanent home for the division’s administration, which has for years operated without adequate office space.

The project had remained on hold as the division anticipated that Arua District Local Government would relocate its headquarters to Vurra, creating room for the division to occupy the current district offices. However, the relocation has not taken place, forcing the division to implement its own long-term infrastructure plan.

Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony, Arua Central Division Town Clerk Frank Kasule said the project had faced repeated delays due to prolonged procurement processes and disagreements over the location of the headquarters.

Kasule explained that the division was at risk of losing the government funds that had already been allocated because construction could not begin without an approved site.

“Government of Uganda sent us 600 million shillings as startup capital to kickstart the division headquarters two years ago, but we have been having this money with challenges due to no site location,” Kasule noted.

He added that the lack of a permanent headquarters has greatly affected service delivery, with many staff operating under trees while others continue to work from the former River Oli Division offices, which no longer provide sufficient space for the growing administration.

Stakeholders during the groundbreaking for the construction of the Arua Central Division Headquarters at Oli.

Under the first phase of the project, awarded under an admeasured contract, the contractor is expected to complete the foundation and understructure within 12 months at a cost of UGX 595 million.

Arua City Engineer and Contract Manager Charles Omona said the construction will be closely supervised to ensure value for money and adherence to engineering standards.

According to Omona, the completed headquarters will provide modern office accommodation, conference halls, meeting facilities, and commercial spaces that will generate additional local revenue for the division. “We need to control quality from the start. Secondly, we need to control cost and ensure that work is completed as per cost and as per quality,” Omona stated.

During the ceremony, leaders also emphasized the need for responsible conduct throughout the construction period.

The representative of older persons on the Central Division Council, Yunus Aliga Awaa, cautioned the contractor against sexual exploitation of young women and girls who may be recruited as casual laborers on the project.

“Experience has shown that when workers like this come for work in a new site, they leave behind very many babies. We have our girls, our sisters, our wives and the contractor must ensure that nothing of that sort happens,” Awaa explained.

Central Division Mayor Sayidi Baguma expressed confidence in Ashante Business Services Uganda Limited, saying the company’s previous record gives the division hope that the project will be completed to the required standards.

Baguma, however, stressed that the division would not tolerate poor workmanship and called upon the contractor to deliver quality work within the agreed timelines.”We must not compromise the quality of the works,” Baguma revealed.

The Deputy Resident City Commissioner in charge of Central Division, Ivan James Namoma, called for cooperation among the contractor, technical officers, political leaders and the local community to ensure the successful implementation of the project.

Namoma described the new headquarters as an important investment that will improve service delivery and strengthen the image of Arua Central Division as the administrative and commercial heart of Arua City. “Arua Central is the face of Arua City. We have been operating almost without an address,” Namoma said.

The decision to establish a permanent headquarters comes despite Arua District completing a UGX 4 billion district administration block in Odumi last year. District officials have reportedly not relocated to the new premises because the building lacks sufficient office space to accommodate all departments.

The continued occupation of the existing district offices by Arua District has left Arua Central Division without adequate accommodation, prompting leaders to proceed with the construction of a dedicated headquarters on the proposed City Hospital land in Oli.

Once completed, the new headquarters are expected to improve the working environment for staff, enhance public service delivery, create additional revenue-generating opportunities, and provide Arua Central Division with a permanent administrative home for future growth.