The Kampala Lord mayor Erias Lukwago, has raised concerns about the investor, Jaspong Group, who was awarded the contract to upgrade the Kiteezi landfill. Lukwago claims that proper procedures were not followed to verify this company and questions why they were given preference over other established companies that applied for the same contract.
“There should be a hidden agenda behind handing the landfill to Jaspong Group because many other companies bid for the contract but were abandoned. The new executive director of KCCA is being pressured to sign a memorandum authorising a contract for a company that did not pass through the rightful procedure.” Lukwago urgued!
He also advised the executive director, Mr Frank Rusa not to sign the memorandum, pointing out that the public procurement development act was not followed in awarding the contract. Lukwago emphasized that this is a significant test for the executive director and urged him to reconsider.
However, State Minister for Kampala, Kabuye Kyofatogabye, refuted Lukwago’s allegations, stating that the decision was not political and concerns people’s lives. He claimed that the investor went through the correct process and Lukwago was informed in writing about the cabinet’s decision. Kyofatogabye also mentioned that Lukwago was invited for benchmarking but declined the invitation.
The concerns come after Minister of State for Disaster Preparedness, Hon Lillian Aber, had just warned KCCA about the possibility of another disaster in Kiteezi if urgent action was not taken. The government handed the landfill to the Ghanaian company following a tragic incident that ocured on August 10th where 35 people lost their lives and many others lost their properties.
The situation remains tense as both sides stand firm on their positions regarding the contract award, leaving the future of the Kiteezi landfill upgrade uncertain.
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