Chinese contractor seeks additional time to complete World Bank-funded roads in Uganda

Kampala [Uganda], November 23 (ANI): Chinese contractor is seeking additional time to complete World Bank-funded roads in Uganda.
The seven roads include Lakidi Road, Philip Adonga Road, Janani Loum Road, Kitgum Road, Tom Apila and Oneka Roads all located in the Central division, Aya Hellen Dean located in Pandwong division, reported New Vision.
The Chinese firm, China Railway 18 Bureau Group Co Ltd, was given the contract for the work which was expected to last 18 months.
The roads were constructed under the World Bank-funded Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development Program (USMID).
The Chinese firm was approved as a contractor for the multi-billion road works in March this year after emerging as the best-evaluated bidder, reported New Vision.
Thomas Oketayot, the president of Kitgum Municipal Development Forum (MDF) said that the contractor was granted a four-month contract extension period by the local government ministry in September this year with caution to finish the works by January 30, reported New Vision.
Oketayot says that the contractor won't be able to beat the November 30 deadline, which is less than a month away.
He said MDF and the engineering department of Kitgum municipal had received a minute of a site meeting in which the project manager highlighted a possible extension period of another four months to January next year to fully complete the work, reported New Vision.
"Initially, the contract period was ending in November this year, but from that minute I saw the project manager saying there is a communication coming through that the contract period will be extended," says Oketayot.
Alex Abonga, the engineer at Kitgum municipality, says the contract period must be extended so that the contractor covers the current outstanding works. He noted that finishing road works at Kitgum municipality can't be rushed at the moment to beat the November deadline, reported New Vision.
Kitgum municipality is among eight new municipalities that started benefiting from a USD 350 Million World Bank-funded project in 2019. (ANI)