• Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Login
Watchdog Uganda
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News
No Result
View All Result
Watchdog Uganda
No Result
View All Result

SPOTLIGHT: Uganda security digs in on middlemen of international contractor over SGR sabotage

Watchdog Uganda by Watchdog Uganda
10 months ago
in News
3 1
SGR project in Tanzania

SGR project in Tanzania

ShareTweetSendShare

KAMPALA – Uganda’s security agencies are investigating individuals linked to an international construction company that bid on the Standard Gauge Railway project. The government’s intervention was triggered by the award of the project to Turkish firm Yapi Merkezi, known for its excellent work on Tanzania’s SGR.

“The development kicked off disgruntlement among Ugandan-based middlemen representing an international contractor, who have since hatched plans to sabotage the project, threatening the positive development,” a security source revealed.

According to highly placed sources, the probe aims to uncover the extent of the sabotage plans and prevent any potential harm to the project.

According to multiple security and government sources, among the malevolent plans include forming a scheme whose cardinal purpose is to sponsor lies, blackmail, defamation and falsehoods against innocent people they falsely suspect to have been reason they lost the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) deal.

“We already know that the disgruntled individuals produce and disseminate as much disinformation and misinformation about the project as possible with the aim of scandalizing it so that the would funders get discouraged from associating with it,” a security source said, arguing that Uganda’s infrastructure flagship projects like Bujagali hydro power have in the past been victims of negative publicity that made the funders become hesitant to approve funds in time.

“So, government has this time decided to intervene at early stage,” the source said.
It is understood that Ugandan brokers that have been at the helm of every big project for decades, were extremely upset when President Museveni heeded to Late President John Pombe Magufuli’s advice try out the Turkish Railway specialized construction company Yapi Merkezi to take on the Uganda SGR contract from Malaba to Kampala. This was after the Chinese contractor had failed source funds for 7 years.

The Chinese contractor signed a contract with the government of Uganda in 2017 to build standard gauge railway from Malaba to Kampala. In the same year, Tanzania signed a contract with Yapi Merkezi commence her SGR development. Since that time, Yapi Merkezi has built the SGR from Dar es Salaam – Morogoro (300 kms), Morogoro- Makutupora (422 kms) which are now operational, and currently building Makutupora –Tabora (294 kms).

In 2018, Kenya signed a contract to extend the 120Km of SGR from Nairobi to Naivasha and Suswa and the works are already completed and operational.
While other East African countries were making giant strides in the construction, the Uganda’s SGR development stalled in its infancy due to the fact that the contractor failed to source funds as had promised. For the seven years the government kept the Chinese contractor on pressure to commence the project in vain because he couldn’t secure funds for the project as had originally stated in the proposal.

With negative progress from the Chinese contractor, former president of Tanzania the late Pombe Mafuguli advised, recommended and personally introduced Yapi Merkezi to his Ugandan counterpart. Yapi Merkezi was already constructing the Tanzanian SGR and President Magufuli was extremely happy their speed, efficiency and quality.

Disillusioned with Chinese contractor for doing nothing on the contract after 7 years of signing , President Museveni immediately dispatched a team of government officials to Tanzania to liaise with their counterparts overseeing the SGR construction but also to carry out due diligence on Yapi Merkezi. The team was also sent to countries Yapi Merkezi had constructed SGR like in U.A.E where the company successfully build and delivered Dubai metro ahead of schedule.

The team also went to, the United Kingdom, Germany and, Turkey for further evaluation. When the team returned with positive feedback, President Museveni immediately directed that the government commences open negotiations with Yapi Merkezi.

On 21 August 2024 the Minister of State for Information, Communications Technology & National Guidance Godfrey Kabyanga, while addressing the media in Kampala confirmed that the government is continuing to make significant progress in the development of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in the country, with government due to sign an EPC/ with M/s Yapi Merkezi (Turkish firm) in the coming few weeks.

Sources further told us that when the local agents of a competing international contractor got wind of the above development, they hastily convinced the Chinese contractor to submit a fresh proposal this time promising that if they are given another chance, they will not wait for 7 years like before but rather will mobilize funds quickly this time from Europe.

Accordingly, after losing the business, the frustrated agents have resorted to sponsoring unprofessional bloggers to tarnish, blackmail, and character assassinate anyone they suspect to have played a role in the losing of their business. According to a highly placed security official who requested not to be identified because of the sensitivity of this matter, “the middle men are fighting to ensure that Uganda fails to develop its flagship project by sponsoring falsehoods to discredit the project. Their motto is, if we can’t have it , no one else should … they are extremely greedy people but we are monitoring all their activities and moves .”

Another source from security said “We already know who these middlemen are, who they’re in touch with both government ministries and agencies, the professional extortionists hiding behind journalism to create fake accounts to fabricate and spread inaccurate information. Investigators are busy analyzing the evidence so far obtained”.


Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com
Share1Tweet1SendShare

Related Posts

News

Uganda Woos UAE Investors with Vast Opportunities in Agriculture and Tourism

1st July 2025 at 20:07
News

Born To Cry: The Tragic Reality of Birth Asphyxia In Uganda As Government Launches My Baby’s Cry Campaign

1st July 2025 at 19:46
Business

Victoria University Strengthens Ties with Busoga Kingdom Through Educational Partnership

1st July 2025 at 13:40
Next Post

Eutaw seeks $30 million, recounts intrigue that led to Katosi scandal

  • Prostitution in Uganda- Courtesy Photo

    10 dangerous hotspots known for prostitutes in Kampala

    1101 shares
    Share 440 Tweet 275
  • LIST: New salary structure for civil servants starting July 2020 out; scientists, lecturers get juicy pay rise

    2283 shares
    Share 913 Tweet 571
  • Uganda’s Billionaires 2025: Once Again Sudhir Ruparelia Leads a Resilient Pack

    39 shares
    Share 16 Tweet 10
  • Pastor Bugingo Seeks Reconciliation with Teddy and Children, Prays for Makula’s Twins

    18 shares
    Share 7 Tweet 5
  • LIST : Gov’t releases Revised Salary Structure for Teachers, Police, and Prisons Staff for FY 2024/2025

    112 shares
    Share 45 Tweet 28
Facebook Twitter

Contact Information

Watchdog Uganda is a portal for solution journalism, trending news plus cutting edge commentaries in the fields of politics, security, business, tourism, entertainment, technology, agriculture, climate change, environment, public health et al. We also give preference to Ugandan community news and topical discussions. The portal also publishes community news and topical discussions.

Email: editorial@watchdoguganda.com
To Advertise:Click here

Latest News

Uganda Woos UAE Investors with Vast Opportunities in Agriculture and Tourism

1st July 2025 at 20:07

Born To Cry: The Tragic Reality of Birth Asphyxia In Uganda As Government Launches My Baby’s Cry Campaign

1st July 2025 at 19:46

Check out

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Minister Muruli Mukasa

LIST: New salary structure for civil servants starting July 2020 out; scientists, lecturers get juicy pay rise

24th May 2020 at 10:45
Pregnant woman

Shock as 17-year old boy impregnates his two sisters during Covid-19 lockdown 

17th June 2020 at 08:17
Sudhir Ruparelia is set to speak at business forum in United Kingdom

Billionaire Sudhir’s wisdom on how to invest in real estate

0

How a boy’s destiny turned from cotton grower to communications guru

0

Uganda Woos UAE Investors with Vast Opportunities in Agriculture and Tourism

1st July 2025 at 20:07

Born To Cry: The Tragic Reality of Birth Asphyxia In Uganda As Government Launches My Baby’s Cry Campaign

1st July 2025 at 19:46

© 2025 Watchdog Uganda

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News

© 2025 Watchdog Uganda