Leaders in Kiryandongo District have voiced their dissatisfaction with CMD Investments Limited, the contractor responsible for the construction of the 3.36 billion Kigumba Seed Secondary School. The leaders cite inconsistencies and a failure to adhere to contract terms during the construction of Kitwara and Kigumba seed secondary schools by the same contractor. The construction, launched in May 2023 with an expected completion date of September 2024, has faced delays, stalling at the foundation level.

During a site meeting on January 18, 2024, at Kiryandongo District headquarters, leaders expressed concerns over the project’s delayed completion, which may impact the planned opening for term one in 2025. The District chairperson, Ms. Edith Aliguma Adyeri, urged the contractor to cooperate and complete the school by the agreed-upon deadline. She expressed disappointment in the contractor, stating that if CMD Investments Limited cannot deliver the project, the District will seek an alternative contractor.

Ms. Aliguma warned that the District would decline future projects involving CMD Investments Limited if the contractor fails to meet expectations. Mr. Reuben Maanigamukama, the town clerk of Kigumba, urged the contractor to deploy adequate manpower to catch up with the remaining construction timeline.

Moses Ssebyala, the Director of CMD Investments, took responsibility for the delay and apologized. He refuted allegations of bribing District staff and attributed the delays to financial constraints, resulting from delayed payments for their works at a government agency. Ssebyala informed leaders that CMD Investments Limited has engaged HCH Financial Services Limited to provide funds of 550 million to expedite the construction. He pledged to deploy sufficient workers and treat each classroom as an independent unit, aiming to complete the project in the next four months.

Kigumba Seed School, part of the Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfers Program, is the second school constructed in Kiryandongo, serving a population of over 1000 students from Kigumba town council and neighboring villages.