Farmers in Pakwach District will have to wait longer to benefit fully from the Shs61 billion Wadelai Irrigation Scheme after the government postponed its commissioning, citing unfinished works and defects in the infrastructure.
State Minister for Water Aisha Sekindi issued a one-month ultimatum to Ambitious Construction Company Limited on October 30, 2026, directing the contractor to address outstanding issues before the facility can be officially commissioned.
The minister made the directive during an inspection of the project in Wadelai and Ragem sub-counties, where she assessed the progress of construction and the quality of the completed works.
Ms Sekindi said she was encouraged by improvements registered since the government engaged a new contractor but insisted that the remaining defects must be corrected before the project is handed over for full operation.
She said she would return after one month to assess the work and determine whether the scheme meets the required standards.
The development represents another setback for a project initially scheduled for completion in 2019, raising fresh questions about delays in the delivery of major agricultural infrastructure and the impact on communities that have waited years for reliable irrigation services.
Construction of the Wadelai scheme began in 2017 but was affected by land acquisition challenges, compensation disputes and construction-related difficulties.
The initial contractors, Coil Limited, working alongside Nasr General Contracting Company, withdrew from the project in 2023 after failing to complete the works within the contractual timeframe.
Government subsequently engaged Ambitious Construction Company Limited to undertake the remaining works and rehabilitate sections of the infrastructure that had reportedly been poorly constructed.
The new contractor resumed work in November 2025, with the revised scope covering the headworks, critical sections of the spillway, main canal and completion of primary, secondary, tertiary and quadrant canals.
However, the latest inspection revealed that some outstanding works still require attention before the project can be commissioned.
Engineer Dinesh Kara, the project manager at Ambitious Construction Company Limited, attributed some of the delays to procurement challenges, explaining that several construction materials are imported.
The Wadelai Irrigation Scheme was initially contracted at approximately Shs54.8 billion, with the cost later revised to about Shs61 billion following changes in the project design.
However, records from the Office of the Prime Minister indicate that at least Shs64 billion had been injected into the project by January 2026, highlighting the scale of public investment committed to the scheme.
The project is funded by the Government of Uganda, the African Development Bank and the Nordic Development Fund under the Farm Income Enhancement and Forest Conservation Programme Phase II (FIEFOC-2).
It was designed to draw water from River Ora and support year-round agricultural production, improve household incomes and strengthen food security among more than 3,000 farmers.
Despite the delays, the scheme is already providing irrigation water to approximately 2,500 farmers, according to information reported during the October 30 inspection.
For some beneficiaries, access to irrigation has opened opportunities to increase agricultural production beyond the traditional rainy seasons.
Lawrence Kertho, a farmer and landowner in the project area, said the scheme had improved his earnings by allowing him to cultivate more frequently instead of relying on a single annual planting season.
He said farmers previously earned little from their land, sometimes depending on leasing it out, but irrigation had created opportunities for more productive agricultural activities.
Another beneficiary, Comfort Masendi, said the availability of irrigation water had enabled her to grow rice and vegetables throughout the year.
However, she raised concerns about limited access to reliable markets, explaining that farmers sometimes sell their produce at low prices to local buyers.
She called on the government to support farmers with improved seed varieties to increase production and improve the quality of their harvests.
Beyond the delayed commissioning, farmers have identified several challenges that could affect the scheme’s long-term performance.
Mr Kertho cited poor drainage and unclear land boundaries as some of the problems affecting agricultural activities within the irrigation area.
He said waterlogging had affected some farming plots, while the removal of trees previously used to mark boundaries had contributed to disagreements among farmers.
He also expressed concern about the continued use of recycled seeds, saying repeated planting of the same varieties had affected crop yields.
The concerns point to the need for complementary agricultural services and proper land management to ensure that farmers receive the full benefits of the government investment.
Pakwach District LC5 Chairperson Shaban Ofoi welcomed the minister’s decision to delay commissioning until the outstanding works are completed.
He said residents had waited long enough for the project to function as intended and urged the technical team supervising the works to ensure that all identified defects are addressed within the one-month period.
Mr Ofoi also called for additional agricultural machinery, noting that the single tractor currently available was inadequate to serve farmers across the scheme.
He further appealed for the completion of a proposed weather station to provide reliable weather information and help farmers and scheme managers plan irrigation activities and regulate water distribution.
Jonam County MP Marshall Alenyo called for electricity extension to the area, saying the absence of power continued to affect residents despite the presence of a major agricultural investment.
He also appealed for improvements to the access road connecting Pakwach to the scheme and better access to essential services, including police facilities.
The latest delay has renewed attention on the management and supervision of major public infrastructure projects, particularly those intended to improve agricultural productivity and rural household incomes.
Although the scheme is already benefiting thousands of farmers, its incomplete infrastructure and operational challenges raise questions about the quality of works, project supervision and the long-term sustainability of the investment.
The government’s decision to withhold commissioning until the defects are addressed provides an opportunity to ensure that the facility meets the required standards before full handover.
For farmers in Wadelai and neighbouring communities, however, the immediate concern remains whether the contractor will meet the new deadline and whether the government will address the additional challenges affecting agricultural production.
With more than three thousand farmers expected to benefit from the scheme, its successful completion could strengthen year-round food production, improve household incomes and support agricultural development in Pakwach District.
The next inspection by the Ministry of Water and Environment will therefore be an important test of whether the latest intervention can finally bring the long-delayed project closer to its intended purpose.