Mbale City –
Hon. Balaam on Friday conducted an inspection of the Mbale City Abattoir following concerns raised by whistleblowers during a meeting at Mbale City Hall over the quality and cost of recent renovation works at the facility.
According to the whistleblowers, the renovation project, which reportedly cost UGX 113 million, does not reflect the value of the work carried out on the ground. They alleged that the completed works fall far below the expected standards despite the significant amount of public funds allocated to the project.
The renovation was undertaken by Bangoma Investments Ltd under the supervision of the division engineer. However, workers at the abattoir and other concerned stakeholders claim that the project was executed using substandard materials and workmanship.
During the inspection, several workers and members of the public expressed dissatisfaction with the state of the facility, alleging that the contractor and the supervising engineer failed to ensure quality execution of the works. They further accused those responsible for the project of mismanaging public resources by delivering work that does not match the reported project cost.
The inspection by Hon. Balaam comes amid growing calls for transparency and accountability in the implementation of government-funded projects. Stakeholders have urged the relevant authorities to carry out an independent assessment of the renovation works to establish whether value for money was achieved and to determine whether any procurement or construction standards were breached.