Residents Question Shs95 Million School Kitchen Project in Kasese

What the report says

Nile Post reported that residents of Hamukungu in Katwe Sub-county, Kasese District, are demanding accountability for a Shs95 million local government-funded kitchen project at Hamukungu Parents Secondary School. Community members say the visible work does not appear to match the amount allocated, and they have raised questions about the approval process, including claims that construction began without approved building plans and with Bills of Quantities they consider unrealistic.

According to the report, the project began about two months ago and was intended to provide a two-unit kitchen, roof drainage for the kitchen and hostel blocks, and an energy-saving institutional cookstove. The BOQs put the pre-tax construction estimate at about Shs71.5 million. Kasese Assistant District Engineer David Rujumba said the district received Shs95 million, with Shs10 million assigned to design work and Shs85 million for construction. He also said the design changed after work began, separating the store from the kitchen after officials concluded the original combined layout would be too small.

Residents and the school administration also questioned project oversight. The head teacher said a monitoring committee had been expected after the official launch but was not established. In response, Kasese Resident District Commissioner Lt Joe Walusimbi directed the Chief Administrative Officer to form a technical team to assess whether the completed work corresponds to the reported spending.

Nile Post also reported that residents have linked the concerns to another unfinished project at the same school: staff quarters valued at Shs48 million that have reportedly remained incomplete since 2023. Local leaders are calling for a wider audit to address public confidence and value-for-money concerns.