Namisindwa, Uganda: District leaders in Namisindwa have rejected 72 school desks supplied to Nangetsa and Busekere Primary Schools, citing poor workmanship and failure to meet the required standards.
The desks were rejected during a joint monitoring exercise of government-funded projects led by Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Elijah Madoi and District Chairperson Emma Bwayo.
Speaking during the inspection, Madoi said the desks had been manufactured using substandard timber and could pose a safety risk to learners if accepted for use.
“The timber used is visibly of poor quality and cannot meet the standards expected for school furniture. As a government, we cannot accept such work,” Madoi said.
The RDC directed the District Education Officer (DEO) to ensure the contractor rectifies the defects before the desks are formally received by the schools.
Namisindwa District LC5 Chairperson Emma Bwayo backed the decision, questioning the value of the desks compared to the amount reportedly allocated for the procurement.
“Each desk is estimated to cost about UGX180,000, but what has been delivered cannot even cost UGX30,000. This is unacceptable and raises serious concerns about value for money,” Bwayo said.
He warned against contractors who inflate project costs while delivering substandard work, stressing that district leaders would not tolerate misuse of public resources.
Bwayo reaffirmed the district’s commitment to accountability and pledged continued monitoring of government projects to ensure taxpayers receive quality services and infrastructure.
The rejection came during the first day of a district-wide monitoring exercise aimed at assessing the quality and progress of government-funded projects.
The inspection team visited Mukoto Seed Secondary School, Tsekululu Seed Secondary School and Bunasaka Primary School, among other project sites.
District leaders said the exercise will continue in the coming days as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen supervision, improve service delivery and ensure compliance with government standards across all development projects.
The latest development highlights growing scrutiny of public procurement processes as local governments seek to enforce quality standards and safeguard public funds from waste and poor workmanship.
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