KITEEZI HEIST! Ghana ‘Investor’ Jospong Dupes M7 in Shady Landfill Deal, now Looking for a Sub-Contractor
President with a delegation from the Jospong Group led by its Executive Chairman, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong and local promoters
By Pepper Intelligence Unit
A Ghanaian investor is looking for a sub-contractor to help him convert waste at Kiteezi landfill into fertilizers and other recyclable materials.
President Museveni last month Okayed Dr. Joseph Sian Agyepong’ firm— Jospong Group of Companies from Ghana to take over the Kiteezi landfill in order to address the country’s garbage management in the aftermath of a tragedy that killed over 30 and displaced a hundreds including destruction of property.
A whistleblower has now told this publication that the Ghanaian investor may have lied to the President about their capacity to handle the project.
Reports emerging indicate that Jespong is desperately hunting for an investor to sub-contract with necessary technology and expertise to do the actual job.
We are told several firms in the USA and Dubai have been approached by Jespong agents for this purpose.
The whistleblower says this is how Jespong has been getting contracts by hoodwinking unsuspecting government officials around Africa to secure contracts when in actual sense is a mere broker.
“Jespong lacks the capacity to execute such a project. His people lied to the President. They were actually brokers. After securing the President’s approval to take over the Kiteezi landfill they are now running around shopping for firms with capacity,” the whistle blower revealed.
In the grand scheme of things, sources reveal that Jespong has tasked agents to make sure that an investor to sub-contract is secured as early as possible and be ready to start operations at Kiteezi landfill in March 2025 as he had promised President Museveni.
The new developments, if confirmed to be true, corroborate Inspector General of Government (IGG)Beti Kamya’s earlier fears and reservations about Jespong’s capacity to execute this project only to be ‘shut up’ by a presidential directive.
In a letter dated October 17, 2024, Kamya ordered the suspension of all activities at Kiteezi landfill involving Jospong Group of Companies due to alleged irregularities in the awarding of their contract.
“You are therefore directed to halt all transactions with Jospong Group of Companies who have been engaged to manage the Kiteezi landfill until this office completes investigations or issues further orders on the matter,” the letter stated.
The IGG’s letter also indicated that an investigation had been launched to probe the alleged irregularities in the procurement process for the Kiteezi management contract, focusing on how it was awarded to Jospong Group of Companies.
The letter revealed that Jospong was allegedly handpicked, bypassing standard government procurement procedures as outlined in the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act.
“The investigations will also look into the allegations that other investors had approached the government with interest in investing in the Kiteezi landfill, but these were ignored or frustrated. That Jospong was awarded the tender without going through an open bidding process, which would have allowed other competent entities to express interest in partnering with KCCA,” the letter further stated.
The IGG’s letter also highlighted concerns regarding the funding of the project.
“Jospong Group of Companies has offered to manage the Kiteezi landfill at no cost to the government. This raises questions since one wonders how the company will recoup returns on their investments,” it read. Other issues to be investigated include the alleged lack of an environmental impact assessment, the absence of a feasibility study for the project, and concerns about whether due diligence was conducted to verify if the company possesses the necessary technology and experience to handle the magnitude of the project.
IGG SHUT UP
Instead, the promoters of Jespong rushed to secure a meeting with President Museveni who in turn issued a directive to have the former take over the landfill to the disappointment of the IGG.
JESPONG LOCAL PROMOTERS
Some of Jespong Ugandan promoters who attended the meeting include Kampala and Metropolitan Affairs Ministers Minsa Kabanda and Kabuye Kyofatogabye, Ag KCCA ED Frank Rusa and one Ssebagala.
Others include Obed Lutakome who is KCCA’s former land-fill management officer (who ironically should have warned the government before the Kiteezi disaster struck).
But together with other two partners, he now owns a firm housed at Fontis Residences Hotel-Nakasero, Kampala which is partnering with Jespong to take over the Kiteezi landfill privately.
“Obed Lutakome was formerly land-fill management officer at KCCA. He should have warned the government about the Kiteezi situation but he didn’t! He should be now in court with the Kisaka’s but he is a free man. He is now coming back to privately takeover Kiteezi with Jespong through a private partnership. Who bewitched Uganda for sure?” the whistleblower expressed concern.
We are also told that the Deputy Speaker of Parliament who is among the local promoters of Jespong in Uganda is not happy about these new developments.
The name of Hussein Akandwanaho has also featured prominently among the local promoters of Jespong. This publication could not independently verify if this Akandwanaho is by any chance biologically linked to Gen. Salim Saleh Akandwanaho.
But available information indicates that Hussein recently swore an affidavit to adopt ‘Akandwanaho’ name.
Bismark Nortei Annoo, the honorary consul for the Republic of Ghana in Kampala, Uganda is also among key promoters of Jespong in Kampala.
Details about— who did what—who go what—for Jespong to secure the Kiteezi landfill will be in our subsequent publication.
JESPONG CORRUPTION SCANDALS
There have been many scandals and corruption allegations levelled against Jespong.In 2013 an investigation into massive corruption in the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) led to the cancellation of all contracts under the programme. It also led to reforms which culminated into the passage of the Youth Employment Agency Law.
The main companies that were indicted in the GYEEDA scandal were those from the Jospong Group of Companies owned by Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong and the AGAMS Group owned by Roland Agambire.
The exposé also revealed and catalogued questionable contracts with various metropolitan and municipal assemblies.
The report exposed how a waste bin contract awarded on sole sourcing basis to the JOSPONG Group was inflated by at least GHC130 million.
Another report revealed how a GHC98 million contract was awarded to 11 companies under the Jospong group to undertake fumigation exercise across the country when Zoomlion Ghana Limited, the parent company of Jospong had already been paid to undertake the same fumigation.
In 2013 the World Bank banned Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Jespong’s waste management services firm and its affiliate companies from bidding for the Bank’s contracts because Zoomlion “paid bribes to facilitate contract execution and processing of invoices” in Liberia.
We are told a report has been sent to the President about Jespong.
Watch this space!
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