Nebbi's Shs3.5 Billion Seed School Project Faces Delays, Seeks Extension

Construction of the Abindu Seed Secondary School in Nebbi Municipality, valued at Shs3.5 billion, has stalled at the 60% completion mark, with the contractor seeking an extension. Egis Engineering Company Limited, engaged through the World Bank-funded Uganda Secondary Education Expansion Project (USEEP), was awarded a 10-month contract in September 2025, set to expire on July 2, 2026.

Site visits reveal that key structures, including four classroom blocks, remain unroofed, and the administration block and staff houses are still under construction. The contractor attributes the delays to several factors beyond their control. Heavy rainfall significantly impacted progress, necessitating extensive landscaping and leading to waterlogged conditions that hampered access and material delivery.

“We had to level the construction ground and remove heaps of soil. The area was waterlogged, making roads impassable, and at some point, we had to offload materials by the roadside,” stated Christopher Opworwoth, the site engineer. He also noted that initial grading work exceeded expectations, requiring deeper excavation than anticipated.

Delayed payments from the Ministry of Education and Sports have also affected the timely procurement of essential materials like steel and cement. Furthermore, a shortage of unskilled labor, with many workers returning to farming during the rainy season, added to the logistical challenges. Egis Engineering is concurrently working on a similar project in Nwoya District under the same contract.

While the company has formally requested a four-month extension from the Ministry of Education, local authorities in Nebbi Municipality have not yet received official communication regarding approval. Principal Education Officer Martin Gwoktho indicated that while ministry officials visited the site and discussed the contractor’s concerns, any extension granted might be limited to three months.

Nebbi Municipality currently has only one government-aided secondary school, Nebbi Town Secondary School, serving the community since the municipality gained its status in 2017. The Abindu Seed Secondary School is crucial for expanding access to education in line with government policy. Mayor Jackline Opar expressed hope for a swift response from the ministry to allow the school to open and serve students who would otherwise attend expensive private institutions.