By: Bazio Doreen and Amacha Goli (Daily Express).

The World Bank-funded Leisure Park Project in Adjumani Town Council under USMID-AF was launched by the Minister of State for Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Hon. Kania Mario Obiga, on August 10th 2022, amid a stern warning to the contractor, Hotel Zawadi Ltd., over delayed works. Hon. Kania further directed the district leaders and technical officers to keenly monitor and supervise the work progress so that the contractor will be dealt with swiftly if he is not compliant.

During the high-profile function that attracted officials from Adjumani District Local Government, USMID Secretariat Kampala, and the Ministry of Lands; the stakeholders unanimously agreed to work together to ensure the project succeeds. True to his word, the contractor has delivered the project, which lies in the heart of Adjumani town along Atiak-Omi Road, as expected and now awaits official commissioning by the Office of the Resident District Commissioner, Adjumani. The components of the leisure park include walk-ways, change rooms, showers, water borne toilets, gardens, and perimeter walls.

The contract, according to the Managing Director, Hotel Zawadi Ltd., Mr. Amaza Emmanuel, was signed on April 13, 2022, and it took exactly 8 months for his workforce to complete the work.

Mr. Amaza also says he is grateful to have been given the opportunity to deliver the shs 1.5 billion project in a record 6 months and that all certificates for work have been duly completed by the office of the District Engineer and he has also been dully paid.

Mr. Afayo Nick, the District Engineer, lauds the contractor for following contract instructions to the dot and attests that the Leisure Park project is one of the best executed contracts under USMID-AF, which also needed less supervision because the company was up to the task.

On his part, Hon. Anyama Ben, the District Chairperson, who also doubles as the Secretary for Works and Technical Services, says he is satisfied with the way the contractor delivered the land project and hails him for the technical workmanship, which has attracted praise from town residents and visitors.

Hon. Anyama also says it is important to encourage and continue building the capacity of more local contractors since they desist from shoddy work for fear of severe backlash from the community, and besides, they are easier to engage in case of poor workmanship.

Meanwhile, the leisure facility, according to information obtained from the office of CAO will be used under the public-private partnership so that the district will be able to monitor and supervise the facility management accordingly and ensure absolute value for money and smooth sustainability.

The Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID) program is designed as a Program-for-Results (PforR) program building on the Local Government Management and Service Delivery (LGMSD) program, a performance-based grant (PBG) program that was piloted by the Bank under the first LG Development Program (LGDP I) in selected districts and later scaled nationally to cover the entire LGs system in Uganda with funding from the Bank and other development partners.

END