Drainage Projects Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has unleashed her fury on China Railway Construction Corporation, ordering the contractors to submit a written explanation by close of business on Wednesday over the snail-paced drainage projects in Kampala. In a dramatic inspection tour of flood-ravaged areas, Nabbanja called out the contractors for sluggish works and questioned why […]
Drainage Projects
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has unleashed her fury on China Railway Construction Corporation, ordering the contractors to submit a written explanation by close of business on Wednesday over the snail-paced drainage projects in Kampala.
In a dramatic inspection tour of flood-ravaged areas, Nabbanja called out the contractors for sluggish works and questioned why drainage projects meant to curb Kampala’s flooding nightmare are still dragging on.
At Salama Road, the no-nonsense Premier tore into the contractors, fuming over their delays despite a previous inspection by President Museveni ahead of the NAM Summit.
“You were supposed to be behind bars! I’m tired of jokers, I’m telling you, you’re jokers. Why is the project coming to a close? What’s the problem? Why is this big like this? Because there’s a lot of toxical waste, the toxical waste they’re having to do there.” she thundered
But she didn’t stop there, KCCA was also in the hot seat. Nabbanja accused city authorities of failing to whip contractors into shape.
“The contractor is supposed to do more. Has he done it? He hasn’t! In that corruption, I can arrest you” she warned, making it clear that heads could roll.
Engineer Maurice Karanaira, the Deputy Director of Roads and Drainage at KCCA, instead accused China Railway Construction Corporation of dragging its feet on crucial drainage and road projects in the city.
Defending KCCA against mounting criticism, Karanaira acknowledged that while the contractors had received significant support, their slow pace remained a major concern.
“This is one contractor who has been struggling, yet he has over 15 roads to work on. We cannot continue like this,” he said
Drainage Projects
He stated that drastic measures have been made, including staff dismissals, to push the project forward but in vain.
“So, do you whip the engineer? Do you fire staff? Because the contractor is just too sluggish,” he remarked.
In response to the criticism, China Railway Construction Corporation assured Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja that they would accelerate the works.
Engineer Henry Namisi from China Railways outlined their timeline, stating that by June, three kilometers would be ready for pavement layers. By October, the entire road surface would be complete, and by December, the full project,including walkways, lighting, and road markings,would be finalized.
But Nabbanja wasn’t buying empty promises she demanded a written report and vowed to escalate the issue straight to Cabinet and President Museveni.
The inspection also took her to the flood-prone Kinawataka Drainage Channel, where she ordered KCCA to prioritize rehabilitation works and issued adirective to demolish illegal structures built on drainage channels.
