By Our Reporter
NATIONAL
The Inspector General of Government, Betty Kamya has kicked off her investigations into the alleged substandard work by the contractors at Isimba Dam.
Kamya led a team from her office to inspect the Isimba Hydropower Plant in Kayunga District today, Friday, 25th April, 2025.
Ms Kamya states that the inspection was prompted by complaints received regarding alleged substandard work by the contractors.
At the site, Engineer Harrison Mutikanga, CEO of Uganda Electricity Generation Company Ltd (UEGCL), informed the IGG that Isimba Dam is at risk of further deterioration and possible collapse due to poor-quality repair work by the contractor, China International Water and Electric Corporation.
He says despite multiple deadline extensions since the original 2019 completion date, the contractor has failed to deliver, with no signs of progress as the latest extension nears its end.
Earlier on Wednesday, 5th March 2025, spillway defects at Isimba Dam were reported to the Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.
It was later resolved that spillway defects should be subjected to a Physical Model Test (PMT) in China to determine the root cause of the structural issues and whether a third spillway is required.
The PMT is a critical step in identifying the cause of the defects and ensuring that we adopt the right solutions. The results of the 1:20 scale model test will reveal the root cause of the spillway defects, while the 1:40 model test will determine whether the dam requires an additional spillway to meet discharge capacity requirements.
In addition to the PMT, a technical team was tasked with assessing the measures required to create dry conditions for effective inspection and repairs.
Under the accelerated work programme, the contractor was required to revise the Master Completion Schedule by addressing all comments from the owner’s engineer and submitting a final, approved version to the employer by 30 April 2025.
The Minister of State for Energy, Hon. Sidronius Okasaai stated that the costs for the resolving of the problem could go up to about US $150 million. He said the figures could go down or up depending on what is on the ground.
“One of them is the spill way. The other is a comprehensive plan to complete the work and owing to insurance and implementation of the work plan… when you look at the demand and supply of electricity in the near future, we are going to the negatives and so getting 183 megawatts off the supply chain will actually cause a disaster,” he said.
Prof. Wang Yongtian, the Vice President, China International Water and Electric Corporation said they are committed to complete the work and ensure quality.
