By Ambrose Kweroda
www.mknewslink.com
In Kabale—
The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, has said that the government is set to terminate the contract awarded to Samcrete Egypt Engineers and Contractors for the construction of the Kabale–Lake Bunyonyi Road due to the company’s failure to commence work on the project.
Tayebwa made the remarks over the weekend while speaking during the burial Mass of the late Maria Bazirake, wife of Louis Bazirake, the former LC III Chairperson of Southern Division in Kabale Municipality, held at Christ the King Catholic Church in Kabale Municipality.
The 15.8-kilometre Kabale–Lake Bunyonyi Road project, commissioned on June 13, 2025, by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, is expected to improve access to Lake Bunyonyi, one of Uganda’s leading tourist destinations, while boosting trade and investment in the Kigezi sub-region.
The Shs112 billion project also includes the construction of the Kisoro–Mgahinga Road.
Tayebwa said the African Development Bank required Uganda to award the contract to Samcrete Egypt Engineers and Contractors as part of the loan agreement. However, he noted that the contractor has failed to mobilize adequate manpower and equipment to continue and finish the construction.
He said the government is now planning to terminate the contractor’s agreement and award the project to another company with the capacity to complete the Kabale–Lake Bunyonyi Road.
Tayebwa also dismissed allegations that funds meant for the project had already been released to the contractor. He clarified that Samcrete Egypt Engineers and Contractors has not received any government funds and urged the public to disregard claims that the project money had been misappropriated.
He further explained that when the African Development Bank approved the loan for the road project, the financing arrangement included the contractor.
However, he questioned the procurement process through which the contractor was selected, saying it did not follow the standard procedures applied to other contractors.
Tayebwa said the matter has been reported to the African Development Bank, which has already commenced investigations to establish the root cause of the problem.
He also urged mourners to honor the legacy of the late Maria Bazirake by engaging in income-generating activities at the household level as a way of fighting poverty and improving their livelihoods.
The late Maria Bazirake, aged 89, had been bedridden for 19 years after suffering a stroke. She is survived by eight children, 12 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.