Leaders in Serere District have asked the government to carry out an audit of Kagwara Fish Handling Facility.
The facility located in Kadungulu Sub County was constructed between 2009 and 2013 at 2.7 billion shillings. However, it has not been in use after the district declined to receive it from the contractor citing shoddy works. `
Joseph Opit Okojo, the LCV Chairperson of Serere says he has written several letters to the line ministries and offices for action but nothing has been done by the government since 2013.
Opit notes that besides substandard work, the construction wasn’t completed to enable it to operate normally.
Kadungulu Sub County Chairman, Peter Okomol is disturbed that the project didn’t meet its intended purpose. He noted that the incomplete facility has discredited the government’s effort of improving the livelihoods, especially among the fishing community.
“The works exhibited in Kagwara have denied my people an opportunity to improve on the quality of fish produced for the international market. We still use ordinary methods to handle fish here when actually, government a two billion project for us”, Okomol said.
In 2017, the fishing community together with the local leaders demonstrated over the idle fish handling facility in Kagwara but no action has been taken by the government.
However, we have learnt that Mayuge and Nakasongola districts which received similar projects under the 113 billion shillings from African Development Bank to fund Fisheries Development Project (FDP), share the same fate.
State Minister for Fisheries, Helen Adoa Abeku says she will follow up the matter.
“I’m only two months in the office. I can’t get everything but I will follow it up. Besides, my dream is to build Fish Handling Facilities in every big landing site like Kagwara”, Adoa said
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