Dott Services blames slow road works in Mbale on lack of cement

MBALE, UGANDA: Dott Services Limited has attributed the slow road works in Mbale city to the failure of Tororo Cement factory to provide cement in line with their contract.

The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development contracted Dott Services in October 2020 to construct Naboa, Cathedral Avenue, Nkonkonjeru Terrace, North, Manafwa and Central roads under the second phase of the Uganda Support to Municipality Infrastructure Development-USMID project.

Sheila Naturinda, the communications specialist in USMID then, said that the project would last for 15 months. Dott Services was expected to complete the works in February this year. However, the company asked for an extension of three months under cluster III of the project whose completion deadline is August 17th, 2022.

Dott services then contracted Tororo Cement factory to supply cement for the road works for the second and third clusters. However, Dott services claims that Tororo Cement factory has failed to supply cement for the last one months as per their contract. Kenbert Kaganzi, the project manager of Dott Services says that they are facing challenges with Tororo cement, which has affected the pace of their work.

He says that they have failed to install culverts in the drainage channel especially in the second phase of the project due to lack of cement but hastens to add that the rest of the work is moving on as expected.

He also notes that the increasing prices of fuel have affected the cost of other materials used for road construction and the Russia-Ukrainian war that has delayed the shipment of some of the machines has also affected the works.

Rhoda Nyarib, the Mbale City USMID coordinator, says that there are only two months for the completion of the second phase of the project, saying there will be no anymore extension if the two months elapse.

Dr. Ronald Musenze, the Resident Engineer of Air Water Earth Consulting Company Limited has asked the contractor to ensure that the project is delivered on time.

Jane Nangalama, a businesswoman on Central road says that the delayed completion of the road has affected their business. She notes that the contractors opened up sewer and drainage lines and have left them open for the last two months.

URN has learnt that Tororo Cement factory is struggling to produce cement to supply its clients in the entire country and outside Uganda. A staff at Tororo Cement factory who talked to URN on the condition of anonymity said that the company’s milling machines are overworked and break down quite often.

“In our mills, efficiency has not been okay because they are overworked. There has not been time to service them and Umeme is servicing their lines so the factory does not have power which is also affecting production so there is generally shortage,” he told URN on phone.