As Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) prepares to procure at least 1,000 buses from Ashok Leyland of India, a whistleblower has written to the Inspector General of Government (IGG), the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament, and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit decrying how the deal was handed over to a single bidder without competitive bidding.
The plaintiff’s letter, which we have come across, chides the Ministry of Transport and K.C.C.A for not allowing public participation through open bidding to allow local investors to participate. This act which contravenes all procurement laws, threatens to throw the deal into the murky waters of a legal process that could throw it out altogether. The letter reads as follows:
The Inspector General of Government
Your Lordship,
RE: LACK OF TRANSPARENCY IN THE PROPOSED PROCUREMENT OF 1000 BUSES FOR THE KCC’S METRO BUS TRANSPORT SYSTEM
Reference is made to the above where the press has reported that the government of Uganda through the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Transport are working together to enable KCCA procure 1000 buses from Ashok Leyland of India. All the routes in Kampala Metropolitan Area have been given to this company to run without allowing other interested parties to participate.
First of all The Ministry of Transport and /or K.C.C.A did not allow public participation through open bidding to allow our local investors to participate. It looks like this Ashok Leyland was handpicked to supply these buses in total disrespect of public procurement rules. Its subsidiary was also granted all routes to ply to the exclusion of all other players. The result is that the local bus manufacturers have been denied an opportunity to participate in this project which would have enabled local bus industries to build capacity, expand their industries and provide over 5,000 jobs to Ugandans in the manufacturing industry.
This Ashok Leyland is getting a lot of support from the government of Uganda of course using public funds by guaranteeing the payment for these buses, giving them designated routes. With the previous trends, this is a dubious transaction that will end in a loss for Ugandans.
One wonders why the President has been promoting “BUBU” Buy Uganda, Build Uganda. Why are we not supporting our local investors? Are we our own enemies? Why can t the Ministry of Finance provide similar incentives to local manufacturers and allow them to make and supply the same buses probably at a lesser cost? Isn’t this a conspiracy of government officials in KCCA, Ministry of Works and Transport and Ministry of Finance to rip off the government and people of Uganda?
This is to move your office to;
- immediately stop this outrageous transaction,
- to investigate any acts of corruption and abuse of office intended to enrich individual at the cost of the nation,
iii. to bring the culprits to book
- to ensure that this project is undertaken in a transparent manner in accordance with the laws and practice of public procurement.
As Ugandans we believe that your intervention will save Ugandans money unlike in previous cases of Katosi Road Construction Saga, The Local Government bicycles saga, Temangalo saga and many more.
Awaiting your action,
………………………………………………………
Concerned Citizen
Attached are letters indicating that both the IGG and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit have received the complaint and are set to investigate over the next few days.
Late last year, KCCA disclosed its intention to acquire the buses, which it said would help alleviate the problem of menacing traffic jams in the city. At the time, Peter Kaujju, the communication director at KCCA, revealed that 200 buses would be acquired through a facility from the African Development Bank. In spite of the strict procurement rules at the bank, the process of acquiring the buses has gone off track and threatens to elicit a legal process that will derail the project.
