By Aggrey Baba
Ugandan taxpayers are once again being forced to pay for the failures of those entrusted with national projects.
Parliament has approved an additional Shs89 billion for the Ministry of Energy to oversee repairs at Karuma and Isimba dams, two mega projects that were supposed to be the backbone of Uganda’s power supply but are already falling apart.
Out of this new allocation, Ugx 51 billion will be poured into Karuma Dam, while Ugx 38.367 billion will be directed to Isimba Dam. This money is not for expansion or modernization, but to fix defects and correct shoddy work that should never have existed in the first place.
These two dams, commissioned only a few years ago, have already swallowed a staggering Ugx 8.18 trillion (Karuma) and 2.074 trillion (Isimba), yet they are now demanding even more.
The approval followed a report by Hon.Achia Remigio, the Vice Chairperson of Parliament’s Budget Committee, during the discussion of the 2025/26 Budget Framework Paper, recently. While some MPs supported the additional funding to prevent the dams from deteriorating further, others questioned how such expensive projects could be in need of major repairs so soon.
The root of the problem lies in shifty contractors who did shody work, leaving Uganda with power plants that are more of a liability than an asset. Instead of delivering long-lasting infrastructure, these contractors cut corners, leaving cracks, both literal and financial, for the taxpayer to fill.
With billions already wasted, many Ugandans are wondering, “Who is really benefiting from these dams?” Because for now, it certainly isn’t the taxpayers.
As the saying goes, [You do not fatten a cow by weighing it], yet here we are, throwing more money at problems that should never have existed in the first place. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
