Bukedea MP David Beecham Okwere has welcomed plans by security agencies to scrutinise contractors involved in government projects, saying the move will help ensure that companies hired for major infrastructure works have the required experience, professional qualifications and record of compliance.
Okwere said thorough checks on contractors before they are awarded projects would help prevent some of the problems identified during an oversight visit by Parliament’s National Economy Committee to the Jinja-Kampala Expressway project.
The committee recently visited project sites in Buyende, Mukono, Kamuli, Buikwe and Jinja City to assess the progress of the expressway and hear concerns from communities affected by the project.
“Because of the missing gaps on this project, including inflation of compensation rates by some Works Ministry officials, non-involvement of local communities as well as district local governments, a prior investigation is very key before the contractor is assigned a project,” Okwere told Bbeg Media in an interview.
He said the proposed scrutiny should examine a contractor’s previous projects, technical capacity and compliance with professional, procurement and other regulatory requirements before the company is given a new government contract.
According to Okwere, this would also help strengthen accountability among government officials involved in project implementation, particularly those responsible for assessing and compensating people whose land or property is affected by infrastructure projects.
He alleged that the committee found cases in Kamuli where compensation figures had been increased significantly from the original assessments.
“For example, in Kamuli, we found out that a person would be compensated Shs10 million, but the amount ended up being inflated to Shs20 million,” he said.
Okwere accused some officials of colluding with project-affected persons to inflate compensation claims, saying such practices could lead to the loss of public money.
Despite the concerns raised during the inspection, Okwere said the committee’s overall assessment of the project was positive.
He said residents were excited by Parliament’s visit because they had waited for the project to receive closer attention from their elected representatives.
The MP also spoke about scholarships recently offered to Ugandan students by the Algerian government and through the Commonwealth scholarship system in the United Kingdom.
He called for the opportunities to be distributed fairly among students from different parts of Uganda, particularly those seeking undergraduate, master’s and PhD opportunities in science-related fields.
The deadline for applications for the Algerian government scholarships is today September 3, 2026, while applications for the UK Commonwealth scholarships are expected to close on September 25, 2026.
