The Chinese contractors undertaking the sh46bn 8.3km road construction work under the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Urban Development Programme (GKMA-UDP) who were a week ago suspended for failing to meet conditions spelt out in the memorandum of understanding preceding the work, have been restored.
The China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) Limited, contracted to execute works on Antony-Kame, Kame Annex, Albert Cook-Cathedral Rise, Kame-Nabuti-Katosi Road, Administration Link, Access Road and Link Road, was on 17th March 2025 suspended following a growing concern over the contractor’s dismal performance underlined by systematic non-compliance with contractual obligations, technical guidelines, environmental and social safeguard standards.
CCCC’s authorized representative, Xiong Pailiang was notified of the latest decision by Mukono Municipality Council in the communication of March 17, 2025. Council previously issued warnings regarding non-compliance on October 10, 2024 and January 10, 2025, citing CCCC’s failure to put in place emergency controls like resting places along the roads, workmen’s duty schedules, facilities like drinking water for workers, clear cut systems of handling workers’ complaints, and others.
The Municipality Environment Officer, Robert Masengere said council is cautious about control over possible unforetold accidents rooted in such shortcomings, and that they want a facility not likely to be a cause of hazards.
Communicating the re-institution of the contractors in a March 19, press briefing, Mukono Municipality Town Clerk, Francis Byabagambi said recognition was made of the contractor’s efforts to proactively provide response to the issues raised.
Byabagambi added that CCCC’s readiness to address the municipality’s concerns to environmental and social safeguards compliance was closely looked at.
Some of the key environmental and social issues leading to the suspension included disregard of contractual obligations to safeguard workers and public equipment, poor incident reporting and management, and concealment of critical project-related information. Other red flags were lack of health and safety structures, failure to ensure proper welfare for workers and non-compliance with grievance redress mechanisms.
Byabagambi said that following the suspension, CCCC submitted a comprehensive response matrix detailing its corrective actions.
“The matrix contains detailed responses on issues concerning vehicles and equipment, health and safety measures, emergency response mechanisms, composition of an equipment for a safeguards team, measures to address grievances and proper management of workers’ welfare”, he told journalists.
Lifting the suspension has conditions including removal of three machines not approved by the inspector of vehicles from the project site, ensuring timely information sharing and incident reporting to inform adequate responses for effective incident management, and other conditions.