Two Chinese companies undertaking critical power projects in Uganda are at loggerheads with the East African country over shoddy workmanship.

Synohydro and China Water & Electric (CWE), which are constructing the Karuma hydropower dam and the Isimba hydropower dam respectively, have attracted the wrath of Uganda President Yoweri Museveni. “I have got disturbing reports that the work being done on the dams of Karuma and Isimba is shoddy because the [engineers] are either not serious or . . . have some other issues.”

Museveni has directed the Ministry of Energy to move quickly to ensure the defects identified on the two projects are rectified and that the contractors adhere to set standards.

According to Karuma project manager Albert Byaruhanga, independent consultants supervising the two projects have reported glaring cracks in the concrete and other defects. The cracks are on the spillway section of the dam.

“The cracks are visible and they could [have been caused by] a number of [factors]. It could be differential temperatures, which is called thermal cracking, maybe a structural problem, maybe stresses within the structure, maybe poor workmanship,” Byaruhanga told a Parliamentary committee recently.

He added that consulting firms AF Consults SMEC and Energy Infratech had also raised concerns with the Uganda Electricity Generation Company and the Ministry of Energy over an apparent disregard of approved designs by the contractors.

In mid-April, Uganda Energy Minister Irene Muloni toured the Karuma project site and directed Synohydro to halt work on the projects until the defects had been repaired. “They will come up with the repair statement and method for our approval, detailing how they will deal with the crack,” she said.

Failure by the Chinese contractors to implement the two projects in accordance with set standards has raised alarms in the East African nation, given that the projects are critical to resolving Uganda’s perennial power challenges.

The Karuma project, which is being constructed at a cost of $1.3-billion, will generate 600 MW, while the Isimba project, being implemented at a cost of $590-million, will generate 183 MW. Exim Bank of China is the key financier of the two projects.

The Karuma project, which is 27% complete, is scheduled to be commissioned in December 2018, while the Isimba project, which is 25% complete, is expected to be completed by August 2018.

Uganda has an installed power generation capacity of 810 MW and peak demand of 510 MW. About 80% of the installed capacity is hydropower. Owing to erratic rainfall in recent years, the country has expereinced shortages of electricity, leading to load-shedding.

Only 25% of Uganda’s 37-million-strong population have access to the national electricity grid.