Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi, the Mayor of Mbarara City, criticized the technical officers for delaying the rehabilitation project despite the Council having secured the necessary funds.
A misunderstanding has erupted between Mbarara City Town Clerk, Asse Abireebe Tumwesigire, and his Principal Procurement Officer, Dinah Mwiije, over the bidding process for the rehabilitation of Katete Bridge. Mwiije is accused of favoring a contractor with higher costs while sidelining a contractor who had presented a lower-cost bid.
Tumwesigire stated that the best bidder, as identified by the Procurement and Disposal Unit, proposed a cost of 517 million shillings for the bridge rehabilitation. In contrast, the UPDF engineering brigade quoted 336 million shillings for the same project.
He accuses his principal procurement officer of defying his directive to terminate the bidding process, instead choosing to negotiate with the higher-cost contractor. Tumwesigire expressed concerns over the high bid and claims Mwiije ignored his warnings, further intimidating the contracts and evaluation committees, where she serves as secretary.
He revealed that he intentionally delayed signing the bidder notice until Mwiije would cancel the contract, which she has refused to do.
Audio
//Cue in: “am not signing…
Cue out: …contact the UPDF.”//
Tumwesigire mentioned that a draft Memorandum of Understanding between the City Council and the UPDF has already been prepared and is awaiting clearance from the Solicitor General. This agreement follows the UPDF engineer’s estimation of 336 million shillings for the bridge rehabilitation.
Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi, the Mayor of Mbarara City, criticized the technical officers for delaying the rehabilitation project despite the Council having secured the necessary funds. He affirmed his continued efforts to secure adequate funding for the bridge and warned he might involve the Inspectorate of Government if the delays persist.
Audio
//Cue in: “mbwenu obumwe nobumwe…
Cue out: …one cannot happen.”//
Bonny Tashobya, Speaker of Mbarara City Council, described the corruption level among the city's technical staff as alarming. He noted that investigations are underway into past incidents where the principal procurement officer allegedly approved unsuitable contractors.
Tumwesigire explained that the rehabilitation work will include the installation of large-span wooden structures and steel plates, a process that he insists should not exceed 500 million shillings. He contrasted this with past projects that used smaller and less costly steel plates. When contacted, Mwiije declined to comment on the accusations against her.
