Contractor accused of delaying completion of Masaka market

Masaka, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Multiplex Alshamas Constructions Limited has been accused of delaying the completion of Masaka central market.

In February 2018, the contractor began to construct a new three-storied modern market in Masaka at 18.05 Billion Shillings,which was part of the loan government obtained from the African Development Bank-ADB to undertake the second phase of the Markets and Agricultural Trade Improvement Program-MATIP II.

According to the contract duration, the market was meant to be handed over to the vendors in November 2019. However, the construction works have dragged on even after the four extensions so far granted to the contractor.

Betty Nakayiza, the chairperson of the Masaka market vendors association says they are disappointed by the failure of the contractor to complete the market. She explains that vendors were assured that they would occupy the new market after one and half years of construction, but to their dismay, the contractor has failed to deliver the project.

Nakayiza accuses the contractor of failing to deploy enough manpower to the site hence failure to deliver on the obligation of the contracts in the set timelines.

Godfrey Kayemba, the Masaka municipality mayor says the consistent failure to deliver on the task even after many extensions is a clear indication that the contractor lacks the required capacity.

He has blamed the Ministry of Local Government for sticking to what he says is a sluggish contractor, arguing that as local leaders, they earlier urged the Minister to terminate the contractor over his slow progress, wondering why their request was ignored.

Moses Bbosa Ndege, the managing director of Multiplex Alshamas Constructions when contacted about the delays declined to comment about the matter.

However in his recent interaction with the Minister of Local Government Raphael Magyezi who was on the project’s progress inspection in January, Bbosa attributed their delay to unforeseen changes in the project design which required them more time.

John Bahengana, the Masaka town clerk also acknowledges the delay of the contractor, however adding that they are pushing to handover the project in a short while. According to him, the project now stands at 86 percent completion.

However, Magyezi who inspected the market in January this year gave the contractor an ultimatum of 45 days to complete and handover the project, indicating that government would consider suing the contractor over failure to meet the contract terms.

Asaph Nuwagira, the Country Agriculture and Rural Development Specialist at the African Development Bank has warned that given the level of operation, the contractor risks being blacklisted from executing any of their future funded projects.

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