By Spy Uganda
Kampala: The Parliament of Uganda has secured office space for new MPs at the swanky Kampala Kingdom building following Roko Construction’s failure to complete the 270 billion parliamentary building which kicked off four years ago.
Parliamentary Commission will spend shs 15 billion to hire office space for new legislators until ROKO Construction Limited completes the work.
The 11th Parliament has 529 MPs who were all sworn in last week and are ready to carry on Parliament business with immediate effect.
According to Helen Nanteza Kawesa, the assistant director of communications and Public Affairs, Parliament has secured one wing at the Kingdom Kampala building which will house the 323 MPs.
Kingdom Kampala is located on Nakasero Hill, an upscale neighborhood in Kampala, the capital and largest city of Uganda. The piece of property where the Kingdom is located is bordered by Nile Avenue to the north, Yusuf Lule Road to the east, and De Winton Road to the south.
The National Theater and Uganda Broadcasting Corporation border the location to the west.“We are renting space at Kampala Kingdom building, and we are in the process of procuring the furniture,” Kawesa said.
ROKO won the tender to construct the chamber at the North Wing which would house 500 MPs and also have office space for MPs and their staff.
After failing to complete the mega building last year citing COVID-19 as a major setback, the contractor said the structure would be ready this year in July but one month to the proposed time, the works on the site continue at a snail pace.
Against that background, Parliamentary Commission has been prompted to cough more shs 15 billion to hire space in the nearest buildings for offices of lawmakers thus the decision to hire the fancy Kampala Kingdom building.
Ministry of Finance had given Parliamentary Commission enough cash to finish the project before the start of the 11th Parliament.
Last year, Speaker Hon Rebecca Kadaga said she was dissatisfied with the delays in the construction of the new Parliament Building, which was initially expected to be completed in July 2020.
The building was meant to reduce the congestion in the current facility and provide more space in the Chambers and offices.
As Kadaga toured the ongoing works she found out that the contractor, ROKO had only completed three and a half out of the nine levels that were agreed in the contract.
