Confidential Report To ADB Pins KCCA Director Over Fraudulent Dealings

A confidential whistleblower report to the African Development Bank has exposed dealings of Eng. David Luyimbazi, the Acting Director, Physical Planning at the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) over “unscrupulous behavior”

The report, dated July 5, 2021 says Luyimbazi tried to position himself as the African Development Bank Projects Coordinator within KCCA which the reports says, was rejected by the ADB.

Secondly, the report adds, that Luyimbazi has fronted many contractors but that many officers have been refusing to take such instructions telling Luyimbazi that it is illegal to do so. But the report says that it becomes difficult for the contractors to resist Luyimbazi on grounds that he will renew their contracts.

According to the report, on July 2, 2020, Luyimbazi and one Nasuuna Mirembe came up with their own report and demanded that the evaluation team sign it but that the report signing met resistance from few members, save for Luyimbazi’s loyalists.

“Everyone here is tense and worried about their jobs. It appears justice is no longer an issue as anything can be made to look like it’s the right thing for as long as Mr. David Luyimbazi is satisfied,” part of the petition reads.

Luyimbazi’s approach

According to the petitioner, Luyimbazi is at the centre of the cartel run by a recently dropped minister and two senior staff of KCCA. The petitioner says Luyimbazi’s approach includes delaying the evaluation processes. The petitioner cites an example of the KCRRP 1 where Mirembe and another return reports to Luyimbazi for review and guidance to meet self-interest. “Mr. Luyimbazi sets ransoms payable by contractors before they can get any contracts,” says the report.

Secondly, the whistleblower report says that Luyimbazi invites contractors to discuss details of their bid under evaluation. The petitioner claims this is wrong and goes against the set procurement guidelines set by the ADB.

Delaying the procurement process, the reports says is the biggest tool used to rip off contractors as Luyimbazi allegedly demand monies from contractors in order to award the said contracts.

The report adds that the racket manipulates procurement processes to achieve individual benefits, manipulates submissions of bids, employs threats to fire officers and uses media to blackmail contractors.  The petitioner also accuses Luyimbazi of misrepresenting other agencies of government. “He once told us that one agency of the government has told him to work against some companies. On the other hand, he tried to influence senior officers of previous employers of some contractors so as to write bad reports against contractors so as to use those reports to eliminate the contractors.

The petitioner says in the cartel’s bid to negotiate contracts, they rate performance of contractors as poor, putting the contractors in panic. The reports says Luyimbazi is part of the dealings in the KIIDP 2. The petitioner says that reports around this project are passed without any query, on orders of Luyimbazi. However, the petitioner says that the same report was later on withdrawn.

The reports said actions of the Luyimbazis have seen Zhejiang Communication Construction Group C. Ltd and China Railway No. 5 Eng. Group technically  knocked out of KCCA contracts.

The petitioner says Luyimbazi brags protection from an army general whom he says authorizes that contracts be given to certain companies.

The petitioner wants the Bank to intervene and act on the cartel.

“We pray that the Bank swiftly acts on the information herein aforementioned to offer clear guidance on way forward if not independently re-evaluate the project without the influence of one George Makajuma (Transport Engineer) lest the Bank allows for few undisciplined officers derail development due to their corrupt tendencies which would rather be argued that evaluation criterions should be scrapped and awards given to those of choice directly.

We pray that the Bank directs KCCA to conduct a current on-spot check and updated report on the existing projects that have been reported about in the adjusted evaluation report,” the whistleblower wrote and pledged: “We are fully aware of the privilege that the whistle blowers act accords issues as this one, but please note that we are withholding evidence to the statements above for the ultimate reason of our security and stability of our jobs, however, we assure you of full confidential cooperation if you choose to investigate this with total confirmation and pledge of safeguarding our identities at the authority.”