SHS3.3BN SCHOOL SHAME! CMD Investments Boss Moses Ssebyala on the Spot Over Stalled Masindi Project, Faces Blacklist

Construction firm CMD Investments Limited and its director, Moses Ssebyala, are under intense pressure after government officials gave the company a final two-week ultimatum to complete the delayed construction of Kijunjubwa Seed Secondary School in Masindi District or risk facing serious consequences, including possible blacklisting from future government projects.

The multi-billion-shilling school project, funded by the World Bank under the Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfer (UgIFT) programme, has become a symbol of frustration for parents, local leaders and residents after missing its completion deadline despite billions of taxpayers’ money already being spent.

The project was commissioned in January 2023 at a cost of Shs3.3 billion and awarded to CMD Investments Limited. Under the contract, the works were supposed to be completed within 18 months and handed over by July 16, 2024. Nearly two years after that deadline, however, the school remains unfinished.

The project was designed to transform education in the area with modern facilities including an administration block, classroom blocks, staff quarters, a two-unit science laboratory block, ICT and library facilities, separate five-stance VIP latrines for boys and girls, rainwater harvesting systems and a football ground.

Instead, learners and residents are staring at incomplete structures. Although some buildings have been roofed, critical components including doors, windows and water systems remain unfinished, raising concerns about safety and the quality of the learning environment.

Masindi Resident District Commissioner Darius Nandinda did not mince words during an inspection of the project, ordering CMD Investments to complete and hand over the school within two weeks.

Nandinda said the contractor had fallen far behind schedule and warned that the continued delays were unacceptable, especially when learners were being forced to study under unsafe and substandard conditions.

The delayed project has triggered anger among parents and local leaders who are demanding accountability over the billions invested.

PTA Chairperson Gerald Muhumuza questioned how the contractor could fail to meet agreed timelines despite receiving substantial payments. Kijunjubwa Town Council LC3 Chairperson Jus Yaahya also demanded urgent action, saying learners deserve a conducive environment for education rather than endless excuses.

Residents have become even more outspoken. Alex Asiimwe, a resident of Kijunjubwa Sub-county, called for the immediate termination of CMD Investments’ contract, accusing the company of failing to deliver despite receiving government funds.

He also faulted the contractor for allegedly failing to deploy enough workers on site, saying the sluggish pace of construction had become an embarrassment to the community.

The controversy deepened after it emerged that CMD Investments had already received about Shs1.7 billion for the project, yet key works remain incomplete.

Facing mounting criticism, CMD Investments site engineer Francis Ayena defended the company, arguing that delays were partly caused by government procedures. According to Ayena, although the contract was signed in January 2023, the official commencement order allowing physical works to begin was issued four months later, affecting the original construction schedule.

But that explanation has done little to calm growing public anger.

The Masindi controversy is not the first time CMD Investments has landed in trouble over delayed government projects. In January 2024, the company came under scrutiny over the stalled construction of Kitwara and Kigumba Seed Secondary Schools in Kiryandongo District.

Local leaders in Kiryandongo raised similar concerns after works that were expected to be completed by September 2024 failed to progress as planned. To date, none of the affected seed school projects have been fully completed, raising fresh questions about the company’s capacity to deliver major public infrastructure contracts on time.

Now, with government officials breathing down its neck and communities demanding answers, CMD Investments finds itself in a make-or-break battle to save its reputation.

Unless the company delivers within the latest deadline, pressure is likely to intensify for authorities to take tougher action against the contractor, including possible blacklisting from future public projects as frustration over stalled schools continues to boil over.

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