The Uganda Police Force (UPF) has taken serious note of an article titled, “Police give prime city land to Chinese firm” that appeared on page 7 of the Daily Monitor of Wednesday, January 8, 2014.
It is a falsehood to state that the Uganda Police procured through a non-competitive bidding process a Chinese firm, Fangda International, to undertake the redevelopment of Kibuli and the Fire Brigade.
While the UPF is seriously engaged in an ongoing Public Private Partnership (PPP) process going as far back as 2008, and is willing to engage with partners and investors to help in our efforts towards resolving outstanding accommodation needs as well as creating institutional housing sufficiency befitting a modern Police, it is not true that in so doing we are compromising or side-stepping any laid down procurement rules, regulations and processes.
In the PPP process, the UPF secured all relevant approvals, and in October 2010 an International Competitive Tender Process was initiated. In June 2011, a request for Proposals (RFP) for the redevelopment of five (5) lots of prime land available in and around Kampala, Masindi and Entebbe was competitively issued to prequalified applicants.
TheUPF received bids for four (4) out of five (5) lots tendered. The process to undertake relevant evaluations was conducted and final negotiations are underway for the lots that were bidded for successfully.
Another competitive process which involves the re-tendering of lot 4 (which includes Kibuli and Kabalye) whose process had not been completed was recently authorized by the PPDA. The UPF has since commenced preparations to invite bids. This particular lot will be re-tendered to companies that expressed interest and these include the Chinese firm, Fangda Africa Investments Limited.It is therefore misleading to state that M/s Fangda Africa Investments has already been procured through a non competitive process. It is also wrong to refer to an agreement to “parcel out Kibuli and Fire Brigade land” to construct Commercial structures yet there is none but an on- going tender process as detailed above. The UPF would like to restate that as we strive to better our conditions of work living, we are aware of the core Principles of PPPs which include value for money, public interest, transparency/competitive tender process, and accountability among others, and we are committed to upholding them under the PPDA rules and regulations.We therefore, request the Daily Monitor to prominently correct the wrong impression created by the story and in future strive to be truthful as expected of an established media house.
Judith Nabakooba
Police Spokesperson
8/1/2014
