KCCA D/Speaker Nasur Masaaba Questions Shs 176B Roads Contract, cites Corruption in the Process

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Deputy Speaker Nasur Masaaba has raised serious concerns over the recent awarding of a roads contract worth Shs 176 billion for the construction of just 20 kilometers of roads in the city. Masaaba argues that this cost—averaging Shs 8.8 billion per kilometer is excessively high and raises serious accountability questions.

Masaaba has pointed fingers at KCCA, accusing the authority of failing to follow proper procedures when awarding contracts. According to him, this has become a recurring issue, with KCCA often bypassing key oversight measures that should ensure value for money in public infrastructure projects.

“The process of awarding contracts is questionable, and most times, due diligence is not followed. This leads to inflated costs, delayed projects, and in many cases, shoddy work that does not meet the required standards,” Masaaba stated.

The Deputy Speaker noted that while the Shs 8.8 billion per kilometer in the latest contract is lower than previous contracts some of which exceeded Shs 10 billion per kilometer the figure is still unreasonably high.

He emphasized that comparisons with similar road projects in neighboring countries indicate that Kampala’s road construction costs are among the highest in the region. He called for a comprehensive audit to determine whether the allocated funds genuinely reflect the quality of work expected.

Beyond the cost concerns, Masaaba also criticized the 18-month timeline set for the construction of the 20 kilometers of roads. He argued that this period is unnecessarily long and warned that Ugandans should expect even further delays based on previous KCCA projects like the Salama Munyonyo road that has never been completed since the start of the project in 2019.

“If it takes 18 months to complete just 20 kilometers of road, how long will it take to fix all the roads in Kampala? Based on past experiences, these projects will likely stretch beyond the set time, causing more inconvenience to city residents,” he warned.

Masaaba also took issue with the awarding of one of the road contracts to Multiplex Limited, a company he claims has a poor track record in road construction.

According to him, Multiplex Limited has struggled to complete roads in Western Uganda since 2019, raising doubts about its ability to deliver quality work within the required timeframe. He criticized KCCA for entrusting a major city road project to a contractor with a history of delays and substandard work.

Adding to the controversy, Masaaba revealed that KCCA leadership, led by Kampala Minister Hajati Minsa Kabanda, held a retreat in Kalangala, where these contracts were awarded. He questioned why such a crucial procurement decision was made in a remote location instead of being handled transparently in Kampala, where stakeholders and oversight bodies could scrutinize the process.

“This raises serious concerns. Why did they need to go all the way to Kalangala to finalize contracts worth billions? The people of Kampala deserve answers on why such major decisions are being made behind closed doors,” Masaaba remarked.

Masaaba is now demanding full transparency in the implementation of these projects, urging the government and anti-corruption agencies to investigate the procurement process.

He is also calling on civil society organizations, Parliament, and the general public to take a keen interest in how road contracts are awarded, arguing that failure to hold responsible authorities accountable will only lead to more financial losses and poor infrastructure development.

With Kampala’s road network already in dire need of improvement, concerns over overpriced contracts, delays, and questionable contractors continue to fuel public frustration. Whether KCCA will respond to these concerns remains to be seen.