As Uganda seeks to attract foreign investment, a notable investor from Singapore recently faced setbacks as government officials sought personal gain in exchange for facilitating a meeting with President Museveni. The investor, along with globally renowned Urban Planning and Development Companies, had ambitious plans to masterplan and develop futuristic cities in Uganda. However, their efforts were hindered by pervasive corruption.
The consortium, composed of Dataset Solutions Singapore, Surbana Jurong Singapore, and Paramount Cities USA/Singapore, won bids to masterplan cities in Jinja, Masaka, Mbarara, and Gulu. Acceptance letters were issued by city administrations, indicating their intent to proceed with the project.
Despite the initial promise, the venture encountered obstacles. The consortium incurred substantial expenses, including the cost of workshops to present proposals in various cities. Attempts to finalize joint venture agreements in Kampala were met with unexplained setbacks from the Ugandan government ministries, leading to mounting frustration.
Faced with deliberate delays, the investors sought an audience with President Museveni. However, securing this meeting proved to be a formidable challenge. Those entrusted to arrange the meeting demanded exorbitant sums, further impeding progress.
The potential benefits of this project are substantial. It promised a transformative urban facelift for Uganda, encompassing ten cities, including critical development in infrastructure, housing, and entertainment facilities. With a housing deficit of 2.2 million, this initiative could alleviate significant pressure on the country’s housing market. Additionally, it held the potential to generate over 2 million jobs, addressing the staggering 75% unemployment rate in the workforce.
Unfortunately, due to insurmountable challenges posed by government officials, this promising endeavour now hangs in the balance. Uganda stands to lose a golden opportunity for unprecedented urban development and economic growth.
Engineer Andrew Mwase who has advised the investors has been frustrated with the outcome of this endeavor.
Mwase, a Ugandan based in the US has for over a decade been a Diaspora mobilizer attracting investments to Uganda and has also interacted with several government entities and claims to have come across similar frustrations.
“ My problem is that some of the large life-changing projects that we had earmarked for Uganda have found their way into other countries. When you combine this frustration by government entities that are supposed to be doing the opposite and the negative global campaign of the opposition, our work becomes harder. So it’s my utmost prayer that we, together focus on changing this through cooperation with the President’s office “ Mwase appealed.
Mwase argues that this large project should serve as an example and all Ugandans not frustrate it since the impact is on a large scale and the secondary Investments and economic impact are on a much larger scale.
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