By Gorrette Kajumba
www.mknewslink.com
In Fort Portal–
Fort Portal Tourism City Council is seeking approximately three billion shillings to complete its long stalled council chamber, a project that has remained unfinished for over 15 years due to funding constraints.
The two storeyed building, whose construction began under the former Fort Portal Municipal Council administration, was intended to provide adequate office space and a suitable working environment for city leaders and technical staff.
However, prolonged delays have left the structure incomplete, raising concerns about its deterioration and value for public money.
During a joint monitoring exercise involving the mayor’s office, councilors, the Resident City Commissioner’s office and other officials, city leaders inspected the council chamber and other ongoing projects, including Kataraka Farmers Market, Kitumba Secondary School and Kitumba Red Primary School.
Fort Portal City Engineer Herbert Kaihura said the project began with site levelling in 2008, but construction had to be undertaken in phases because of limited funding.
Kaihura explained that the city received Shs 790 million in the 2025/2026 financial year, which supported the construction of columns and other structural works. The city has also allocated Shs 211 million in the current financial year, while the central government, through the Ministry of Finance, has provided Shs 1 billion to support roofing and wall construction.
He said the city needs between nearly Shs three billion to complete the building and provide the necessary facilities.
The engineer added that the city intends to establish the total cost required to finish the project and ensure that councilors and staff have a conducive working environment.
The Chairperson of the General Purpose Committee at Fort Portal City Council, Traxier Komuntale, said the monitoring exercise had revealed that considerable work remained before the building could be occupied.
Komuntale said the council would prioritize the project during the forthcoming budgeting cycle, expressing hope that it would be completed within the current term of office.
Fort Portal City Woman Councilor for Central East Division, Shamim Kabasinguzi, expressed concern that the buildings prolonged exposure to rain and sunshine could weaken the structure and undermine the value of public funds invested in it.
She appealed to the government to provide additional funding to enable the city to complete the project before further deterioration occurs.
Fort Portal City Mayor Rev. Willy Kintu Muhanga said the project had taken too long to be completed, preventing the city from fully benefiting from the resources already invested in the building.
Muhanga estimated that approximately Shs 3 billion had already been spent on the project, with another Shs 3 billion needed to complete it. He put the building’s current level of completion at about 40 per cent.
The mayor said the city leadership was committed to completing the council chamber by June next year to allow council activities to move into the new premises.
Meanwhile, Fort Portal North Division Deputy Resident City Commissioner Henry Kitambula said the monitoring exercise had revealed slow progress on the project.
Kitambula also identified gaps in joint monitoring by stakeholders and regular site meetings, calling for improved coordination and supervision to accelerate implementation.
The completion of the council chamber is expected to ease the city’s office-space challenges and provide a more suitable environment for conducting council business. However, the project will require additional funding and closer supervision to meet the leadership’s proposed completion deadline.
