Multi-purpose dam construction freezes over inadequate funds

By Our Reporter

22^nd Sept 2023

The construction of a multi-purpose dam in Abola Village, Bugondo Sub County in Serere district has stalled for months over inadequate funds. 

Construction works were launched in April 2022 and it was expected to last one year.

The dam on a 37-acre piece of land was first constructed in 1954 but failed to serve its purpose after silting for more than ten years.

It has a capacity to store 300 million liters of water that has been planned for irrigation, watering livestock, and aquaculture.

Moses Tibamwagaine, an Engineering Assistant working on the project through the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) says that the completion of the project is dependent on the availability of funds from the ministry.

He notes that while the major works of de-silting and constructing the dam were almost done, they are yet to start with the irrigation and aquaculture projects, major components designed in the de-silting and reconstruction of Abola dam if funds are available.

During a monitoring tour to assess the progress of work in Abola on Thursday, the Minister of State for Fisheries, Hellen Adoa Abeku said that the ministry is looking for funds to ensure the project is completed in the shortest time possible.

By the time of commencing the desilting and construction works of the dam, the Minister of Agriculture, Frank Tumwebaze said that it would cost 1.5 Billion Shillings.

Tibamwagaine says that they have so far spent a billion Shillings in the current works.