The Leader of Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi (pictured) and other MPs were blocked by Roko Construction Company, from accessing the Company premises, after they sought a meeting to understand how the Shs263Bn bailout the Company received from Ugandan taxpayers was utilized yet staff have complained of working for four months without a pay.
Ssenyonyi made the revelation while speaking to journalists in Kawempe, outside Roko Construction Company offices, where he was locked out alongside members of his Shadow Cabinet, where they had gone to undertake some oversight visit on the Company.
“This Company has been given over Shs263.3Bn and we understand that Government is coming back to request money on their behalf. That is why we came here to establish, what is this money doing? We have been getting calls from the staff who have been telling us for 3-4 months, they haven’t been paid a salary and yet they are required to work,” said Ssenyonyi.
The Leader of Opposition narrated that he wrote a letter on the 8th October 2024, informing the Management of Roko Construction Company of his plan to visit, but upon arrival, Ssenyonyi and his team was denied access to enter, but instead, was presented with a letter from Mark Koehler, the Managing Director informing him of the decision by the Board of Directors not to allow the team into the Company premises.
Ssenyonyi explained, “They have given me a letter where the Managing Director says that they consulted the Board of Directors and the Board has politely declined to admit you and members of the Shadow Cabinet to the premises of the company. This is clearly what we have been saying that the way Government keeps dishing out money to private companies is very problematic. When the first time Roko was being given money, Government put in a request of Shs207Bn and we said for starters, can we first do due diligence on this company to establish, what is its financial standing. Because at that time, the Speaker in chair told us that if Parliament doesn’t approve the money, the company is going to close down because it was heavily indebted.”
The Leader of Opposition questioned the fate of the multi-trillion projects Roko Construction Company has been entrusted with like Lubowa Hospital and Parliament new chambers, if the company is still exhibiting signs of financial distress.
“The Parliamentary chambers building was meant to be completed in the 10th Parliament, we are in the 11th Parliament, it is going to end and there is nothing much happening there. Every two years, they keep pushing the date and yet, Parliament, said, for us, we are establishing our bills for them to construct, but not much is happening. Meanwhile, Parliament spends billions of shillings to rent offices for MPs and staff at Kingdom Kampala, Queen’s Chambers and yet you are injecting money elsewhere to construct your own premises. That is what I call a nugatory expenditure, it is a financial loss to the taxpayer,” explained Ssenyonyi.
The Leader of Opposition defended the impromptu visit to Roko saying it was a culmination of the distress calls he received from Staff who reported to haven’t been paid 3-4 months, which he said was a serious indication that there is a problem with this Company.
“Government is continuously giving you money, we hear they want to come to Parliament again for a supplementary, for more money. What is that money doing if staff are not being paid, if the projects meant to be done aren’t being run? Our hope is that the Minister of Finance has got to account for the Shs263Bn injected in this company. We are hoping there won’t be another request to give money to this company because we don’t know what that money is doing and as we are trying to follow up, they aren’t being open,” added Ssenyonyi.
