EC relocates, closes old office
The Electoral Commission (EC) has said it is closing its head offices on the Jinja-Kampala Highway as it relocates to a new location at Plot 1-3/5b, Seventh Street in the Industrial Area. PHOTO/FILE
What you need to know:
- This is to pave way for the construction of the Kampala Flyover.
- Mr Paul Bukenya, the EC spokesperson, said their relocation was delayed due to several challenges.
“We have only been delayed by a few challenges but we were supposed to have moved a long time ago. We already parked our bags and we were supposed to report to the new location about three months ago or even much earlier than that,” he said.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has said it is closing its head offices on the Jinja-Kampala Highway as it relocates to a new location at Plot 1-3/5b, Seventh Street in the Industrial Area. The new location was formerly occupied by the National Housing and Construction Company (NHCC). The move is to pave way for the construction of the Kampala Flyover.
“The head office at the new location will be opened to the general public on Monday, January 16, 2023. Please note that during the relocation period, the registry will be open at the new premises on Plot 1-3/5, Seventh Street, Industrial Area, Kampala on weekdays, except public holidays that may fall on such days,” the EC statement read in part.
Three months ago, NHCC made a public announcement that it had relocated from its offices on Seventh Street in the Industrial Area to Crested Towers.
Details of the amount EC will be paying in rent are still scanty.
Mr Kenneth Kaijuka, the head of NHCC, said: “The agreement to procure a new place for EC has already been signed but the cost of the deal will be finalised when the ground plan of the building is completed.”
In 2016, Uganda National Roads Authority paid EC Shs20b in compensation. Another additional Shs40m was released in 2019 by the government to the EC for the same purpose.
In 2019, some of the bidders for the construction of the new EC offices petitioned the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets (PPDA) over what they called unfair procurement process which had knocked them out of the deal.
PPDA launched an investigation into the matter but later found that EC had followed the right procedure and cleared them to continue with the process or advertise afresh for bidders to make proposals.
In 2022, another complaint was lodged before the Inspector General of Government alleging that one of the preferred places was located in a wetland.
