Bugweri, Uganda: The Woman Member of Parliament for Bugweri District, Hon. Racheal Magoola, has decried inflated cost estimates in government-funded projects, warning that corruption and intrigue among local leaders continue to frustrate the district’s development.
Hon. Magoola, who was speaking as the chief guest during the handover of the Bugweri District Headquarters construction site to the UPDF Engineering Brigade, urged residents and district leaders to abandon internal fights and focus on collective progress.
She criticized the initial engineers who had projected the district headquarters to cost Shs6 billion, a figure later revised by the UPDF Engineering Brigade to Shs3.8 billion.
Magoola described the inflated figures as “black taxing,” accusing some technical officers of inflating costs for personal gain. “When UPDF came, the building which was estimated at Shs6b had to be revised to Shs3b. This was very bad, and can you imagine our own people are the ones who had calculated these figures?” she remarked. “This means the other Shs3b was for them to buy cars, buildings, land, etc.”
The Bugweri Woman MP called on the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to ensure technical teams avoid exaggerating figures in public projects, warning that such practices slow development and erode public trust.
Magoola also condemned land grabbing within the district, calling for collective responsibility to safeguard district assets. She cautioned leaders against politicizing administrative work, arguing that internal blame games and election-related rivalries have hindered service delivery.
Bugweri CAO Mr. Makone William confirmed that the project funds had already been deposited into the UPDF Engineering Brigade’s account and construction would commence within the week.
He also supported the proposal to name the new district block after the late Al-Hajj Kirunda Kivejinja, describing him as a patriotic historical figure who left a lasting legacy in Bugweri and Uganda at large. “These people really contributed to this country, and when they die, their legacy should live on,” CAO Makone stated.
UPDF Engineering Brigade representative Lt. Eng. Emmanuel Kwikiriza confirmed readiness to begin work and pledged to hire some community members for available construction tasks.
The project follows a presidential pledge made by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni during the Tarehe Sita celebrations, after a joint appeal by Hon. Racheal Magoola and Rt. Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Affairs.
The ceremony was attended by several district leaders, including RDC Magala Banuli and LCV Chairperson Muziransa Shafik, who both condemned local divisions that have delayed development projects and urged leaders to unite behind the district’s progress.
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