SOROTI – The Iteso Cultural Union (ICU) has voiced serious concerns over the management of Shs.120 million allocated to beautify Soroti City ahead of the recent Ateker Re-union festival held in November 2024.
The subjects of ICU have raised concerns looking at project and the way flowers are drying up visa vee the allocation.
They claimed that 120m allocated seems to have been miss mimanaged by the handlers of the project showing no value for money.
Considering dry season they expected continuous watering of the flowers to keep them grow untill rains resume as the city currently is faced by the dry seasons.
The funds were part of the Shs.2.3 billion grant from the government intended for various development initiatives.
Capt. Mike George Mukula, the NRM Vice Chairman for Eastern Uganda, was tasked with overseeing the project, which included activities such as removing old flowers, cleaning the city, garbage collection, opening blocked drainage channels and landscaping.
ICU, Prime Minister Andrew Ocole reveals that Mukula was expected to work closely with the Soroti City Authority, which provided trucks for garbage removal.
Allegations have emerged that Mukula instead enlisted the services to his private company, Asante Waste Management, sparking questions about transparency and accountability.
In the recent media engagement His Highness Papa Paul Sande Emolot the Paramount Chief of the ICU, he warned the subjects against destroying the flowers and challenged the city authorities to continue monitoring and preserve the flowers in order to maintain sanity in the city and also urged media to continue with awareness campaign about the flowers to make subjects understand it’s value
“I am not happy about the way the flowers have died, and pedestrians crossing the road have trampled on them, despite financially supporting this initiative,” Emolot remarked.
He promised to replant the flowers and ensure better maintenance going forward.
Soroti City East Division Mayor Paul Omer also criticized Mukula’s handling of the funds, accusing him of exploiting the initiative for personal political gain.
“From the moment I heard my friend Mukula was tasked with leading the city cleaning, I knew it would devolve into an effort to further his political motives, resulting in a loss for the government,” Omer stated.
He added that the project has visibly failed, with dried flowers and unmanaged bushes taking over the city.
Several members of the public have expressed their frustration, with one anonymous official describing Mukula as a “trickster” who used his political influence to mismanage the funds.
They pointed out his failure to protect the flowers and ensure adequate watering, which led to their deterioration.
Critics argue that Mukula’s oversight has undermined the beautification efforts and wasted significant government resources.
Efforts to reach Capt. Mike Mukula for comment was unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls.
The ICU leadership has pledged to review the project and implement corrective measures to restore Soroti City’s aesthetic appeal while ensuring better accountability in future initiatives.