Thousands of Ugandans have taken to social media to voice their anger over reports that businessman Sudhir Ruparelia prevented lawmakers from monitoring the construction progress of a conference hall at Munyonyo Commonwealth resort, a project funded by the government with Shs 89bn.

The conference center is slated to host thousands of delegates during the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in January 2024.

According to Hon Wakayima Musoke from Nansana Municipality, the encounter with Sudhir was far from amicable. He stated, “The meeting never ended well because of the character of Sudhir. We were denied access to the premises of the construction site of the Conference hall. So if you refuse MPs the opportunity to inspect the ongoing work and then demand payment, is that acceptable? Are we truly in control? Right from the beginning, Sudhir wasn’t forthcoming in his communication.”

Sudhir Ruparelia has yet to comment on this matter.

Duncan Abigaba urged the Inspector General of Government, Beti Kamya, to take a keen interest in the issue. He said, “Aunt @IGGBetiKamya asked us not to keep quiet. @GovUganda is investing UGX 86B into Sudhir’s company to construct conference facilities for next year’s Non-Alignment Movement meetings in Uganda. MPs on the Trade committee were denied access to the facility. Aunt Beti, there you go!”

Activist Jeje Odea added, “The government granted Sudhir 86 billion to construct a conference center in Speke resort. However, when MPs attempted to inspect the project’s progress, Sudhir, with the help of security operatives, prevented them from accessing the site. Are we not a nation with questions to ask?”

Sarah Bireete, another activist, expressed her frustration: “Sudhir is just a front for individuals who utilize taxpayer funds for investments. That’s why he disrespects MPs. MPs also failed in their duty to demand a clear public-private partnership before injecting taxpayer money into private property. This is a display of impunity.”

Reports indicate that many government officials and NRM lawmakers were opposed to the idea of channeling taxpayers’ money to Sudhir for the construction of the conference center. They believed the government could independently undertake the project.

Social media users expressed concerns about the quality of the construction work, speculating that it might be the reason Sudhir blocked MPs from visiting the site.

T Mwebesa emphasized, “If Sudhir has nothing to hide, he should welcome scrutiny. We are dealing with hard-earned taxpayers’ money.”