Prime
Government okays Shs174b police lab project
Housing units under construction at Naguru Police Barracks in Kampala. PHOTO BY RACHEL MABALA
What you need to know:
Plan. The project will be signed by a Chinese firm in exchange for 60-acre piece of land at Naguru Police Barracks in Kampala.
Both the Solicitor General and the Inspector General of Police have finally authorised the Shs174b police-Chinese project.
Under the project, a Chinese firm will construct a forensic laboratory for the police in exchange for a 60-acre piece of land at Naguru Police Barracks.
The police spokesman, Mr Emilian Kayima, confirmed the new development.
“Both the Solicitor General and the Inspector General of Police have signed the project documents. We are now waiting for the project documents to be approved by Parliament for construction to start,” Mr Kayima said yesterday.
The project was launched in December last year by the former Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura, and he said the construction of a forensic laboratory was expected to take only 13 months.
According to project documents, the Chinese firm, Tip Top Investments Ltd, will construct and equip a forensic laboratory on a 2.9-acre piece of land at Naguru, Nakawa Division.
The firm plans to construct a 50-storey residential building, shopping malls, a hotel and a business park in 32 months.
Mr Billy Cheung Yiu Tung of Tip Top Investment Ltd, said the entire project is expected to cost between Shs1 trillion and Shs1.5 trillion.
However, no designs for the project have been drawn yet.
Tip Top Investment Ltd was sourced through a ministerial committee led by State minister of Lands, Ms Persis Namuganza.
In 2010, the Finance ministry sought investors to redevelop city barracks, including Naguru and Nsambya, under the Public-Private Procurement arrangement.
In 2011, MS Ahadi Consortium, a British-Ugandan group, won the bid to redevelop Naguru land, but it was dumped under unclear circumstances.
Ms Ahadi Consortium had promised to construct housing units for police officers and use part of the land for commercial purpose for at least 50 years after which the ownership of the property would revert to the police.
BACK GROUND
In 2010, the Finance ministry sought investors to redevelop city barracks, including Naguru and Nsambya under the Public-Private Procurement arrangement.
Launch. The project was launched in December last year by the former Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura, and he said the construction of a forensic laboratory was expected to take only 13 months.
Activity. According to project documents, the Chinese firm, will construct and equip a forensic laboratory on a 2.9-acre piece of land at Naguru.
