Nameere grills Masaka officials over Shs14bn city headquarters project, questions engineer

What the report says

Watchdog Uganda reports that Masaka City’s Shs14 billion headquarters project is facing renewed scrutiny after Minister of State for Local Government Justine Nameere Nsubuga raised concerns during an inspection on Tuesday. According to the article, she questioned whether the project’s engineer was qualified, challenged the construction methods being used, and asked why work was still going on despite an earlier directive to stop it.

The report says Nameere specifically objected to the use of manual excavation on a major public building and pressed project engineer Musa Mukiibi to explain his academic background and experience. Mukiibi reportedly said he graduated in civil engineering from Kyambogo University in December 2023 and had worked on highway, road and other engineering tasks. The story notes that his recent graduation has prompted questions about whether he has enough experience to oversee a project of this size, although it also stresses that further details such as professional registration and team supervision matter.

The article also describes tension between Nameere and Masaka Mayor Florence Namayanja, including an allegation by the minister that the mayor had repeatedly demanded Shs14 million. Watchdog Uganda says the minister did not clearly explain the purpose of that amount, and the report distinguishes it from the separate Shs14 billion project cost. It adds that the town clerk had reportedly recommended stopping the work, suggesting possible disagreements within the city’s leadership.

More broadly, the piece places the dispute in the context of wider ministry concerns about the cost, quality and value for money of local government headquarters projects in Uganda. It says the city authorities, the contractor and the ministry should clarify the contract, the stoppage, and any next steps.