By Micheal Atwakiire
Sheema: The Mbarara Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Frank Kyereere on Friday forced a renowned engineer in Mbarara to vomit money he had pocketed, yet it was meant for payment of workers.
While commissioning Rwentobo primary school Kagango division and Ruhigana primary school Kasaana sub-county, in Sheema district, which were constructed using Wolrd Bank grants, Kyereere forced the contractor Eng. Posiano Turyamureeba, of Gurey Tone Construction Company, to cough the money he had swallowed instead of paying his workers.
This was after a group of people led by Anthony Tumubwiine storming Rwentobo primary school claiming that government couldn’t commission the school before paying them. The move prompted Kyereere to order the contractors Turyamureeba and Kenneth Ahabwe, to pay the workers immediately.
However, midway the commissioning ceremony, Amon Tabaaro, one of the workers, raised a concern to the RDC that Turyamureeba had paid them half of the money. That pissed off Kyereere, who strictly ordered both contractors to pay the workers or face his wrath. “When I reached here, I told you to pay these people. Then why have you paid them half? Can you please come in front and start paying them one by one?” Kyereere demanded.
He added that “We gave you enough money; how come you don’t want to pay people who helped you?”
It is said that the complainants worked as casual labourers during the construction activities, after the contractor refused to pay them as agreed. Due to security purposes, the total amount of money wasn’t revealed although over six people were paid.
It should be noted that the two schools were supposed to be commissioned in April this year, but hadn’t been completed by the contractor then, which forced Sheema district leaders to postpone the commissioning.
The government of Uganda using a Shs2Bn World Bank grant, built four primary schools in Sheema district. Each school has seven classrooms, toilets for teachers and pupils and furniture, although some schools haven’t received the furniture as promised.
Elidard Mwesigye, the vice chairman LC V Sheema district, said that although they commissioned the schools, Ruhigana primary school wasn’t up to the standard. He asked the contractor to renovate the buildings with shoddy work. Esau Willy Nshabiirwe, the District Education Officer(DEO) Sheema district, asked parents with pupils at Ruhigana primary school to love their school and start mobilising for more pupils, because government didn’t give them classrooms to keep them empty
