On March 29, the Executive Director Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) Allen Kagina issued a statement cancelling bids from seven companies to upgrade Rukungiri- Kanungu road.
The road connects other two major towns of Western Uganda- Kihihi and Ishasha.
Kagina cited the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets (PPDA) Act noted that the procurement process had been rejected.
“This is to inform you that all bids in the above procurement have been rejected,” reads in part the statement dated March 29.
According to the Act, a procuring and disposing entity may reject bids at any time prior to the award of a contract.
The cancellation comes against a background of incessant feud between Kagina and contractor Dott Services limited.
The beef stems from UNRA’s interest to award the bid to another Chinese firm Zhongmei to work on the road.
Zhongmei’s competitor Dott Services protested the process and dragged UNRA to Court.
Court issued an interim order stopping UNRA from dealing with this shady contractor Zhongmei.
Even Parliament had advised the authority to desist conducting any business with Zhongmei.
However, Kagina has defied the directives from these two arms of government.
Bad blood
An official at UNRA revealed to us the cause of the row between Kagina and Dott Services which previously was awarded bids before she took over as the authorities head.
A source said that Kagina, while still the commissioner of URA had a protracted rift with her junior staff (names withheld).
“That staff was forced to quit acrimoniously because of the persecution subjected unto her by then ED,” a source said.
“She (harassed staff) went to conduct her personal business and she landed a deal as the agent of Dott Services in Uganda,” a source added.
When Kagina was appointed UNRA boss she learnt that her nemesis was the agent of that contractor. She further learnt that even the premises housing UNRA offices belong to her rival.
This website understands that Kagina influenced a process of shifting from the Lumumba avenue based premises to Nakawa UAP industrial park at a higher cost.
But Mark Ssali, head of communications at UNRA said that before shifting a lot was considered including wide space, convenience and parking.
“Because there was restructuring we needed big space to accommodate the huge staff that we have now,” he said.
Asked to avail us figures showing how much UNRA pays as rent compared to the previous premises Ssali declined saying he would get the information from the administrator.
However, he has since rejected to pick our endless calls.
But reports indicate that UNRA pays double the money for the new offices.
Trumpet further understands that UNRA shifted with 5 more years left paid for rent.
This means that government is losing billions of shillings in personal fights.
Formerly UNRA was paying shs over shs 30m monthly as rent.
For 5 years left government has lost over shs 1.5 billion.
