Isimba Bridge: Speaker Kadaga directs the committee of Parliament on infrastructure to investigate its progress
Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga has directed the Committee of Parliament on Physical infrastructure to investigate the progress of the Isimba Bridge that joins Kayunga District to Kamuli District construction.
The Speakers orders follow the State Minister for Minerals, Peter Lokeris’s statement he made before parliament saying the construction of the bridge is underway and so far 22 per cent has been completed noting that in 2020 the construction process will be finalised.
Lokeris informed Parliament that Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development led by the State Minister for Energy, Hon Eng. Simon D’ujanga alongside Members of Parliament that includes Hon Amos Lugolobi, Ntenjeru North Constituency legislator, Kayunga District, Hon James Waluswaka, legislator Bunyole West County, Butaleja District witnessed the progress of the Isimba Public Access Bridge works.
However, Lokeris said that there are still a numbery of challenges the project is currently facing that includes land acquisition noting that 400 billion shillings meant to compensate landowners has not yet been paid.
But Hon Waluswaka trashed the Minister’s statement saying on their visit to the site, he interacted with the contractor and he informed him that the Isimba Bridge construction cannot be completed in 2020 unless the government pays him the 35 million dollars he used during the construction of the Isimba Power Dam.
Waluswaka adds that Minister Lokeris should stop lying to the public because some workers of Isimba bridge are currently on a sit down strike over non-payments.
“Even the dam which the president commissioned in march, the contractor hasn’t been paid USD35M, for the Minister to come and deceive the country that the Dam will be completed in 2020. I interacted with the contractor and told me they will not complete the bridge because even the money they spent on the dam hasn’t been paid,” Waluswaka said.
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Waluswaka’s statement attracted the attention of legislators which prompted Speaker Kadaga to issue a directive to the Committee of Parliament on Infrastructures to conduct an investigation that includes oversight visit to Isimba Bridge and after give Parliament a conclusive report on the matter.
“I think let us task our committee on physical infrastructure to follow up and give us an update,” Kadaga ruled.
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In a plenary sitting chaired by Speaker Kadaga last month, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Irene Muloni faced it rough as legislators pointed fingers at her over media reports attributed to her on the alleged Isimba Dam Bridge construction stolen funds.
This followed remarks made by Kadaga earlier indicating that 24bn Uganda shillings meant for the construction of the bridge with evidence over River Nile joining Kayunga and Kamuli District was stolen by some government officials.
Kadaga informed Parliament that in March this year, she reported the case to President Museveni but she hasn’t yet received any response from him.
Reacting to Kadaga’s statement on the alleged claims, Minister Muloni dismissed the claim while addressing journalists at Uganda Media Centre on Tuesday 19, November 2019.
Muloni said that the ministry is not aware of the swindled funds. According to her statement, the bridge construction failed because the contractor deviated from the initial contract agreement.
Following her statement, legislators accused Minister Muloni of contempt of Parliament and forced her to file an apology to Parliament overstatement which portrayed Kadaga as a liar.
Kadaga said Muloni’s statement was a reflection of the cabinet’s intended plans to silence Parliament over the matter.
“Members what I can say is that this was intended to silence the Speaker and this House. That is the arrangement. Instead of coming to say give us more information, they go straight to Cabinet and bash the Speaker.”
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In her apology, Muloni said that her recent media address was not intended to attack the persons of the Speaker and Parliament, but the cabinet resolved to address the media on grounds that the public was already aware of the alleged theft of the money meant for Isimba Bridge construction.
“If the statement in any way has angered you and the Parliament of Uganda, I apologise. Otherwise, it was not intended but it was a matter of clarification on issues,” Muloni’s apology stated.
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