President Museveni has directed that all new government school and hospital projects should be handled by the UPDF Engineering Brigade starting the 2021/ 2022 financial year.
In a July 1st, 2021 directive to the Vice President, Prime Minister, Minister for Defence, Permanent Secretary and the Chief of Defence Forces, Museveni said the move will help avoid the delays that have several times been occasioned to government projects by the contractors.
The president explained that over time, the UPDF Engineering Brigade has been able to build capacity to handle several projects ranging from simple, high level, and then advanced construction projects.
According to Museveni, wherever the army has worked, a lot of money has been saved, unlike the case with private contractors and says it is high time the government thought of using their own.
Speaking at the commissioning of the new facilities at Kyankwanzi in March President Museveni said the practice of using private contractors is a great wastage of government resources.
The UPDF Engineering Brigade has in the past been involved in the construction of several facilities in the country including the Namugongo martyrs shrine, Mbuya military referral hospital, Kololo independence grounds and housing units in various army barracks throughout the country.
