The Minister for General Duties, Eng. Hillary Onek, has expressed disappointment over the progress of works at Pece Stadium in Gulu City and demanded an audit of the project cost, citing a lack of value for money.
”So, Ministry of Works, this one is shoddy work, technical work, shoddy technical performance. 13 billion (shillings), 13 billion for this kind of thing,” the Minister wondered.
He explained that the works duplicate facilities that were previously in the stadium before the National Council of Sports demolished them for an upgrade ahead of the 2027 African Cup of Nations (Afcon).
”The pavilion which was there was destroyed; now we are building the same pavilion back. The same groffa (storeyed) was also there. What you are building here, this structure there, if I am to assess with my experience as a builder, it cannot even reach one billion (shillings).” the furious minister said after an assessment on October 21.
Mr Onek said the infrastructure on site is worth just one billion shillings as opposed to thirteen billion shillings that had already been injected by the government for the project.
”13 billion (shillings) can build a fully-fledged stadium, not just a pavilion like this one. I know what building is all about, so I am really disappointed. You have a lot of explanations to make for 13 billion (shillings) going into this; I am not sure.” He noted.
The National Council of Sports is undertaking renovation of Pece War Memorial Stadium in Laroo-Pece Division, Gulu City as a training ground ahead of the Afcon 2027. It is expected to be one of the three training grounds alongside other stadiums under upgrade in Lira and Gulu Universities. The stadiums are expected to serve teams that will play at Akii Bua Stadium in Lira City.
Last renovated in 2017 for the Federation of East Africa Schools Sports Association (FEASSA), the state of the stadium had been deteriorating. The upgrade started in May after the site handover to the UPDF Engineering Brigade and was expected to be completed by November 15 this year.
Similarly, Ms Florence Alanyo, the Assistant Resident District Commissioner for Gulu, questioned the work progress.
She said, ”I am also much worried a bit; this project was supposed to be for six months, already five months gone, we are left with one month, and my sister talked of this project being finished by 31st November, you are talking of 15th November, now I am even confused.”
But Site Engineer, Mr Daniel Matsiko, defended their positions, saying, ”Whatever you are seeing here, we are trying to do our best to make sure that by 15th we have completed this work, and the project duration is six months, and the contract time so far, we have now used nine months, but we are where we are, and slowly we can achieve it.
Gulu District Sports Officer, Mr Braxtone Ojara, said they have no prerogative over the project as it is being handled by the National Council of Sports.
”All the land titles were with the National Council of Sports; official handover was done from the district (Gulu), and for us, we thought everything would be then in this area.”
The Site Engineer reported that 68.8% of the work was completed. Currently, the facility is expected to have 1,000 pavilion seater, a dressing room, floodlights, artificial turf and a levelled training ground with a wall fence erected and work on the drainage and pitch was yet to start.