By Mike Sebalu
The Minister of State for Economic Monitoring, Beatrice Akello, has directed the State House Anti-Corruption Unit to arrest and investigate Rubanda district local government water officer, David Otika over poor accountability.
Otika is reportedly responsible for the shoddy works done on the Bushura Gravity Water Flow scheme in Hamuhambo Town Council.
With its construction works commencing in the 2017/18 financial year in Rubanda district, the Minister established that a total of Shs600 million so far released has been spent on constructing a water reservoir where there was no water source.
The minister made the directives shortly after addressing Rubanda district local government officials on her 5-day economic monitoring trip to Kigezi sub-region districts of Rubanda, Kabale, Rukiga, and Kanungu respectively.
“There is a problem with the water scheme of the district, where it budgeted about Shs6.2 billion for these water works but unfortunately, they have released 600 million hillings in two financial years but the design of the work has issues because they started with the reservoir without the water point. Now it’s like you are building you begin with a roof then you come back to dig the foundation,” the minister noted.
“It means the government has now lost the 600 million shillings because of the poor design and that one we are going to charge him for causing financial loss to the government. That’s why I have directed the State House Anti-Corruption Unit to investigate to ascertain whether the information is given that it was the district executive that directed him to do it, and being a technical person we also need to see the truth,” Akello added.
The minister has also given Rubanda district local government Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) a 3-month ultimatum to rectify all the mistakes made during the construction of Nangaro Primary School as the State House Anti-Corruption Unit picks interest in the investigation into this project as well.
