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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has commended Ugandan engineering and energy services firm On Track Technical Services Limited for its performance in executing electricity distribution projects, describing the company as one of the best-performing contractors in the sector.
The recognition, made when the company’s directors appeared before PAC on Aug.4 to discuss its operations and contribution to Uganda’s power distribution network, offers a rare positive example of how effective project management, technical competence and financial discipline can improve the delivery of public infrastructure.
Members of the committee unanimously praised On Track Technical for its professionalism, quality service delivery and contribution to improving the reliability of Uganda’s electricity distribution network.
Established in 2010, the Kampala-based company provides engineering, energy and infrastructure services, including electrical power line installation, rural electrification, civil and road construction and facility management for government and corporate clients.
Appearing before the committee, Director Tadeo Bwengye and Operations Manager Fredrick Tinka outlined the company’s experience in executing electricity distribution projects and explained the systems it has put in place to ensure projects are delivered according to agreed timelines.
“We employ professionals. We don’t take it lightly and ensure that every department has the right person for the specific task, and we have a supporting senior management team that always evaluates and guides our operations,” Tinka told MPs.
The company’s track record includes several major electricity distribution assignments. Its first major project came in 2011 when it was contracted by then electricity distributor Umeme to refurbish the Mitala-Maria to Masaka substation line at a cost of Shs1.1 billion.
It subsequently undertook the refurbishment of the Mutundwe-Lubowa integrated feeder in Kampala before executing the Mubende-Kakumiro 33kV feeder refurbishment project valued at Shs615 million in 2014.
In 2016, the company secured its first major assignment with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development to construct power networks under the community and Government of Uganda cost-sharing model. The project was valued at Shs5.1 billion.
The projects demonstrate the increasing role that local engineering firms can play in delivering infrastructure required to expand electricity access and strengthen the country’s power distribution system.
“Why have they not given you more work? Thank you very much, On Track. You deserve your flowers,” said PAC Chairperson Hon. Patrick Nsamba Oshabe.
Hon. Muhamad Kibedi Nsegumire, Member of Parliament for Mityana North, said: “I want to commend On Track. When they were presenting, they did not mention the work they did in my constituency. Those guys were very cooperative. When they brought faulty transformers and we complained, they brought us new ones.”
For a country pursuing industrialisation and broader economic transformation, reliable electricity infrastructure is not simply a utility issue. It is an important foundation for manufacturing, commercial activity, investment and improved household welfare.
This makes the quality and speed of infrastructure project execution particularly important.
Government may allocate resources and approve projects, but the eventual development impact depends heavily on whether contractors can translate those plans into functioning infrastructure within the agreed time and budget.
On Track Technical’s experience therefore provides an important lesson for other contractors involved in public infrastructure projects.
The company told MPs that maintaining project momentum requires not only technical expertise but also careful financial planning. Tinka said the firm has pre-approved financing facilities with financial institutions, allowing it to access short-term funding when payments from clients are delayed.
“At least you are sure that you have a facility to run to and always access credit on short term as you wait for payment from the employers, and this ensures completion of our projects on time,” he said.
Such financial preparedness can be particularly important in large public projects where payment processes can sometimes take time. Contractors with adequate working capital and sound financial management are better positioned to keep workers, equipment and suppliers engaged rather than allowing projects to stall while awaiting disbursements.
The company’s recognition by PAC is significant because parliamentary oversight frequently focuses on delayed projects, cost overruns and weaknesses in the implementation of government programmes.
A contractor receiving praise during such an oversight engagement sends a different but equally important message: public accountability can also identify and recognise practices that work.
The experience of On Track Technical shows that timely delivery is possible when contractors combine qualified personnel, strong project supervision, financial discipline and effective management.
For government, this provides an opportunity to strengthen the emphasis on performance when awarding and monitoring public contracts. Contractors that consistently deliver within agreed timelines and budgets can help government achieve greater value from scarce public resources.
It also places a responsibility on other contractors to view infrastructure contracts not simply as commercial opportunities but as part of the broader development process.
Every delayed electricity line, road, water system or public facility can postpone the economic and social benefits that government intends to generate through its investment. Conversely, projects completed on time can quickly begin supporting businesses, communities and public services.
As Uganda continues to invest in electricity access, industrialisation and infrastructure under its broader long-term development ambitions, the capacity of local contractors to execute projects efficiently will become increasingly important.
The recognition of On Track Technical consequently goes beyond one company. It demonstrates that Ugandan firms can build the technical and financial capacity required to undertake complex infrastructure assignments and deliver them effectively.
The challenge now is for the wider contracting industry to draw lessons from such performance. Timely execution, quality workmanship, professional project management and financial preparedness should become standard expectations across public infrastructure delivery.
For government, the lesson is equally clear: effective monitoring should not only identify failures but also recognise contractors that demonstrate the standards needed to turn public investment into tangible development outcomes.
On Track Technical’s parliamentary recognition therefore offers a positive benchmark at a time when Uganda is seeking to accelerate infrastructure development. If replicated across sectors, such performance could help government reduce project delays, improve value for money and ensure that infrastructure investments translate more quickly into the economic and social benefits envisioned in the country’s short- and long-term development agenda.
