The Uganda Cooperative College has expressed their frustration over the stalling of the construction of their Ugx 1.3 billion multipurpose block, after the contractor allegedly abandoned the site over lack of funds.
With the initial goal of completion in a period of one month, Nokas Contractors Ltd kick-started the construction of the building that would house administration offices, ICT library and lecture rooms, and reduce congestion, in 2018.
But according to the district chairperson, Mr John Okeya, the construction has delayed due to money-related handicaps.
“The construction was supposed to be completed by now, but the delay raises eyebrows,” he said, asking the ministry to investigate the inordinate delay in completion.
Mr Okeya made the remarks during the college’s first graduation ceremony on the weekend during which 362 students received diplomas and certificates.
“I’m a member of the governing council, but whenever we raise the issue [of the stalled project] to the ministry, we are not given an answer,” he said.
Currently, the college is operating in a rundown building of the District Agricultural Training and Information Centre (DATIC’s).
According to Ms Caroline Acharu, the principal, the institution is in great and urgent need of the better infrastructure to address space shortage.
“It was our prayer that the contract was going to be executed within the specified time frame, but we are disappointed with what has happened,’’ she said, adding that the constraints have limited their ability to admit more students.
As revealed by one of the contractor’s employees, who chose to remain anonymous, the delay of this project’s completion is because the government has still failed to release funds.
Ms Jane Egau, the Education ministry’s director for higher technical, vocational education and training, promised to follow up the matter, revealing that the ministry had already released Ugx 700 million out of the total Ugx 1.3 billion by the end of 2019.