Open letter to Balaam, a brother in the trenches of truth

What the report says

The Observer published an opinion piece framed as an open letter to Local Government minister Balaam Barugahara and state minister Justine Nameere, praising their recent hands-on anti-corruption posture while urging them to look beyond suspected wrongdoing when assessing failed local government road works. The writer, identified as an investor, contractor and football enthusiast with decades of civil engineering experience, argues that some projects collapse because they are under-designed and underfunded from the outset.

Drawing on work in the Mbale, Bududa and Karamoja areas, the author says terrain, soils, weather and access to suitable murram can make apparently simple gravel road projects far more expensive than budget lines suggest. He cites Bududa’s volcanic and landslide-prone soils, the cost of hauling materials from lower areas, and the need for equipment such as graders, water bowsers, compactors and tippers. He also says Karamoja presents similar challenges, with contractors sometimes forced to transport proper road-building material over long distances.

The central argument is that anti-corruption audits should examine bills of quantities, design specifications and local engineering realities before blaming contractors alone. The writer contends that district engineers may prepare budgets to fit available funds rather than the soil and drainage conditions on the ground, creating what he calls a built-in risk of failure.

The piece calls on institutions including the Uganda National Bureau of Standards, the Engineers Registration Board and the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers to engage the new ministers. It urges Barugahara and Nameere to consult local contractors early, review specifications before works fail, and provide realistic budgets so accountability efforts do not punish contractors for structurally inadequate project planning.