A truck stuck on the Kafumbe- Mukasa Road on Thursday. While most upcountry roads become impassable, especially during rainy season, a firm was paid Shs23m a day to clean the Kafumbe-Mukasa Road in Kampala. PHOTO BY ISAAC KASAMANI

A construction firm was paid Shs23 million a day to clean a 1.3-kilometre road in a Kampala suburb, whistleblowers’ petitions obtained by this newspaper have revealed.
According to the petitions to the Inspectorate of Government, Works ministry issued a letter of bid acceptance to the contractor at a cost of Shs5.5 billion for work on Kafumbe Mukasa Road and was to be completed in eight months.
The allegation contained in the petitions is one of the several allegations that the office of the the Inspectorate of Government is investigating.
The petitions make allegation of corruption, abuse of procurement process and inflated payments to hand-picked contractors by officials in the works ministry.

IGG spokesperson Ali Munira confirmed to this newspaper that the office had received the whistleblower petitions, but added: “I can’t tell the stage at which our investigations have reached because with such investigations, you can think you are close to complete but new information comes in.”
Ms Munira, however, did not delve into the details of who in particular was being investigated, preferring to only reveal that the whistleblowers’ petitions were in relation to the Ministry of Works.
The allegations are in relation to construction of roads in Naguru Hill Lane, Upper Naguru Hill Lane, Naguru East Road, Ntinda II Road and Kafumbe Mukasa Road in Kampala. The Whistleblower suspects that the deals have resulted in the loss of an estimated Shs15 billion in a period of less than a year.
Mr Charles Muganzi, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Works and Transport, denied the allegations that mention him and other officials in the ministry.
In an interview with us last month, Mr Muganzi said work is done at different stages in the Ministry and that his office doesn’t micro-manage because there are many engineers and each one does their duty.
“So I don’t do the measuring, the mapping and the supervising and paying.”
“Most of the contracts talked about in that petition were handed over to KCCA. Those petitioners are personalising things out of ignorance, because I don’t value roads, neither do I make payments. I work with a structure,” he said.
Works and Transport Minister Abraham Byandala said he was not aware of the ongoing investigations which Ms Munira had confirmed to this newspaper two weeks ago.“All such contracts of handling mud and dust hadn’t been completed but all the same, we handed them over to KCCA because it’s in charge of all city roads,” he said, adding: “The Kafumbe Mukasa road was supposed to first get the sewerage line worked on before the road is done, but the officials have been lazy that’s why civil works couldn’t be worked on.”
He also said he is not aware of any such other works in Naguru roads probably because those could have been worked on before he became Minister.
Eng Byandala replaced Eng. John Nasasira in the Ministry following the May 2011 Cabinet reshuffle. The IGG is yet to complete its investigation and Mr Muganzi absolves his office of any wrong doing.
He referred this newspaper to one of his engineers, Obyero Mugisa, although phone calls made to his number went unanswered. Another petitioner also wants Mr Muganzi to take responsibility since he allegedly signed another contract with M/s Multiplex Ltd in March 2010 to tarmac selected roads in Naguru, Mutungo, Luzira, and Rubaga areas in Kampala.