Public Utility Company KIS uses Ugx100 million to renovate a Ugx20 million shade

Several residents living in the island district of Kalangala remain dissatisfied with the exorbitant costs Public Utility Company, Kalangala Infrastructure Services Limited used to construct a meager shade at Kalangala’s major health facility, Kalangala Health Center IV.

The company last week, handed over a shade and renovated, plastered male ward that was under renovation.

The company said, it used up to Ugx100 million to renovate the shade and ward prompting the expression of dissatisfaction by several of the people who were at the facility.

Engineers who engaged in the handover to the District leaders who included Chief Administrative Officer but asked not to be named said, the costs were inflated for rather a small piece of work.

“It only needed about Ugx 20 million. Not more than Ugx 25 million. I am even surprised they said, they used Ugx 100 million for the job,” the source said.

Other revelers at the hand over also kept wondering how something small would cost such amounts of money yet even the Bills of Quantities (BOQs) clearly indicated something different.

The company (KIS) severally engages in Corporate Social Responsibility. However, it has on many a time been established that the institution inflates such costs of CSR and in turn charges exorbitantly on the services it provides to the people.

The company is the sole supplier of power at a Unit cost of Ugx 1500 per unit and water on the main Island of Bugala. It also charges the government Ugx 17 billion to operate two ferries MV Pearl and MV Ssese. Residents have asked Government not to renew their ferry contract since they will be valued at Zero cost by the end of their current contract in April this year.

The residents claim, the costs of running such ferries is high leaving Gov’t with a heavy cost that denies the District chances of getting more ferries that can operate in the outlying Islands of Kalangala which currently grapple with poor transport.

The Public Relations and Marketing Manager for KIS Joseph Mulindwa could not comment on the inflated costs of doing business by the company.