Tororo Authorities Replace Contractor on Delayed Aturukuku Seed School Project

Shs2.6 billion school project in Tororo has stalled despite extensions and added funding, prompting a contractor change and renewed scrutiny of procurement practices, contractor capacity, and accountability in public infrastructure delivery.

Construction of Aturukuku Seed Secondary School in Tororo Municipality, a key government infrastructure project under the 2022/2023 financial year, has suffered prolonged delays, raising fresh concerns over service delivery and project management in local governments.

The Shs2.6 billion project was initially awarded to CK Associates Construction Limited with an 18-month completion timeline.

However, despite two contract extensions and additional funding, the works remain incomplete, with several structures still at roofing level.

The delays have forced municipal authorities to intervene, resulting in the subcontracting of the remaining works to Carl Investments Uganda Limited.

The new contractor has been given a strict two-month deadline to complete construction.

Tororo Town Clerk Ayub Alikwan Kisubi said the project had already stalled by the time he assumed office, necessitating immediate engagement with the original contractor.

He explained that discussions led to a mutual agreement to subcontract the remaining works as a way of salvaging the project.

“When I came, the project had stalled. I had to engage the contractor to explain the delays. In that meeting, we agreed on subcontracting as a way forward and that is why we are here now,” Kisubi said.

Municipal technical leaders attribute the delays to a combination of unforeseen and personal challenges affecting the original contractor.

Kisubi noted that the contractor was involved in a serious accident that nearly claimed his life, before later experiencing financial constraints that further slowed progress.

However, Tororo Resident District Commissioner Sadiq Bategana pointed to deeper structural issues within Uganda’s public procurement system, arguing that contractor inefficiency and overcommitment remain a persistent problem.

“It appears some contractors take on too many projects at once. They end up diverting funds from one project to another, which affects delivery timelines,” Bategana said.

His remarks echo broader concerns that have repeatedly surfaced in government audits and parliamentary oversight reports, where underperformance, delayed execution, and abandoned projects have been linked to weak contractor vetting and limited enforcement mechanisms.

Even as Carl Investments Uganda Limited expresses confidence in meeting the revised deadline, local leaders are using the delay to push for long-term reforms aimed at strengthening accountability.

Bategana called for the decentralization of contract award and management powers to district authorities, arguing that such a move would improve supervision and ensure contractors remain responsive to local leadership.

“If districts were empowered to award these contracts, supervision and ownership would improve. Some contractors currently do not even respect district authorities,” he added.

Authorities have cautioned that the success of the new timeline will depend heavily on the contractor’s ability to deploy sufficient manpower and resources on site. Any further delays, they warn, could undermine public confidence and escalate costs.

The Aturukuku Seed Secondary School project is part of a broader government initiative to expand access to secondary education across underserved areas.

Once completed, the facility is expected to significantly ease congestion in existing schools and improve education outcomes in Tororo Municipality.

For now, residents and leaders alike are watching closely, with expectations that the new contractor will deliver where the previous one fell short, and that the lessons from the delays will inform future public infrastructure projects.