Opinion – Perennial War in DRC is a Scorn at Africa’s sovereignty
By Mike Omuodo
A phone vibration drew my attention to an incoming message – a friend had sent a message with an attachment and a note reading, “This is so sad and needs to stop! The message was followed by some crying emojis.
Curious, I opened the attachment. It was a photo of some of the carnage in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – to be precise, the photo of corpses of those killed in the DRC’s never ending war, piled like some wastes from a city garbage truck. My heart bled for the children and women of DRC, the main victims of this horrendous war!
The war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has killed over 6 million people over decades, stands as a stark reminder of the continent’s internal and external challenges. Despite Africa’s rich history, cultural diversity, and growing potential, the persistent violence in the DRC represents a failure of both African leadership and the international community to address a crisis that undermines the very notion of African unity, independence, and self-determination.
The DRC, endowed with an abundance of natural resources—diamonds, gold, copper, coltan—should be one of Africa’s most prosperous countries. Instead, it has become a battlefield where local militias, foreign corporations, and regional powers exploit its riches, leaving its people in poverty and suffering. This is a direct affront to the vision of African sovereignty, which seeks to ensure that African resources benefit Africans and not external actors or corrupt elites.
The inability of African nations to decisively intervene and resolve the conflict in the DRC highlights a painful reality: while African leaders have championed unity and cooperation through platforms like the African Union (AU), they have largely failed to protect one of their own from decades of exploitation and war. The silence and inaction of many African governments on the DRC crisis is a scorn to the idea of Pan-Africanism, which promises solidarity and collective action in the face of injustice.
The war in the DRC is also a reflection of how foreign interests continue to meddle in African affairs, undermining Africa’s sovereignty. Since colonial times, external powers have exploited the DRC for its natural resources, leaving the country in a state of perpetual conflict. Today, multinational corporations and foreign governments continue to benefit from the illegal extraction of the DRC’s minerals, funding armed groups and prolonging instability.
African leaders have a moral and political obligation to assert Africa’s control over its own resources and territory. Allowing foreign actors to dictate the fate of one of the continent’s richest nations not only diminishes the sovereignty of the DRC but also weakens the entire continent’s ability to defend its economic and political interests.
Failed Governance
At the heart of the DRC crisis is the failure of governance. While external actors have played a significant role in the conflict, internal divisions, corruption, and weak leadership within the DRC have exacerbated the situation. Successive governments have struggled to maintain control over vast portions of the country, allowing warlords and militias to fill the power vacuum.
However, the broader failure lies in the inability of African leaders to come together and address these internal issues through diplomatic pressure, peace-building, and robust intervention. Instead, some regional powers have been accused of further destabilizing the country by supporting rebel groups and exploiting the chaos for their own gains. This lack of leadership not only prolongs the suffering of millions of Congolese but also erodes trust in Africa’s ability to solve its own problems.
Strategic Imperative
This war shouldn’t be seen merely as Congo’s problem but as a moral and strategic imperative for the entire African continent. The ongoing conflict undermines Africa’s collective goals of peace, security, and economic development. It destabilizes a region that is critical to the future of Africa, limits economic growth, and diverts attention from pressing continental issues such as poverty alleviation, infrastructure development, and healthcare.
Allowing the DRC to remain in a state of war or even degenerate further into the abyss reflects poorly on the African Union and regional organizations like the East African Community and Southern African Development Community (SADC), which have the capacity to mediate and intervene. If African leaders do not act now to stop the violence and build sustainable peace, it will signal a failure to live up to the founding principles of these organizations and African independence itself.
Reclaiming sovereignty
This war is not just a humanitarian catastrophe; it is a direct challenge to Africa’s ability to assert control over its own destiny. The conflict has exposed the fragility of African sovereignty and the vulnerability of the continent’s vast resources to external exploitation. To truly live up to the promise of a united, independent, and prosperous Africa, African leaders must rise to the occasion, reclaim the DRC’s sovereignty, and bring an end to this senseless war.
Inaction or passive diplomacy will only deepen the wounds and prolong the suffering. It’s time for Africa to lead by example, assert its political will, and save the DRC from becoming a permanent scar on the continent’s legacy. The war in the DRC cannot be allowed to continue as a scorn upon Africa’s sovereignty.
The writer is a pan-African Public Relations and Communications expert based in Nairobi, Kenya. [email protected]
Opinion – Perennial War in DRC is a Scorn at Africa’s sovereignty
ROMISE: A modern, tarmacked road linking Mukono to Katosi in central Uganda, improving access and accelerating development.
REALITY: A maze of fake companies, forged documents, and missing billions.
AMOUNT LOST: Over Shs 24 billion
IMPLICATED: Abubaker Technical Services (a ghost contractor), Dan Alinange (then UNRA spokesperson), senior officials in the Ministry of Works and Transport
The Dream: Infrastructure That Connects, Develops, and Delivers
The Katosi-Mukono-Nyenga Road was touted as one of Uganda’s critical infrastructure projects—a 74-kilometre lifeline that would link rural communities along Lake Victoria to urban centers and markets. Once constructed, it would ease transport bottlenecks, improve agricultural trade, and shorten travel time between Mukono and Buikwe districts.
In 2013, the government of Uganda—through the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA)—announced a Shs 165 billion contract for the road’s construction. The contractor? A little-known firm named Eutaw Construction Company, allegedly from the United States, working in partnership with Abubaker Technical Services and General Supplies, a local firm.
But from the outset, red flags waved in broad daylight.
The Reality: A Highway to Nowhere
The first sign of trouble came when Eutaw Construction Company, the “lead contractor,” was discovered to not exist in any official registry of the United States. UNRA had claimed that Eutaw was selected after a competitive procurement process, beating out several established firms. But investigations later revealed that Eutaw was a phantom company, used as a front by Ugandan operatives to siphon off public funds.
Even more baffling was that Abubaker Technical Services, the local subcontractor, had no previous road construction credentials of the magnitude needed for a project of this scale—and was, in fact, not officially registered at the time of contract award.
Despite these glaring anomalies, Shs 24 billion was immediately advanced to the so-called contractors—ostensibly as mobilization fees. Within weeks, the money was gone, and the road remained untouched.
The Role of UNRA: Complicity or Incompetence?
The scandal implicates several senior figures at UNRA. At the center was Dan Alinange, the UNRA spokesperson at the time, who consistently defended the integrity of the project in public briefings. Alinange and other officials maintained that due diligence had been done and that Eutaw was “fully verified.”
But a 2015 probe by the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) found otherwise. The report revealed that UNRA deliberately ignored multiple warnings from internal auditors and whistleblowers who questioned the legitimacy of Eutaw and Abubaker Technical Services.
The report also showed that certain individuals within UNRA approved advance payments in record time—without verifying the contractor’s physical address, financial records, or previous work experience.
A Timeline of Fraud
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2013: Eutaw Construction Company awarded contract to build the 74km Mukono-Katosi-Nyenga Road.
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Early 2014: Shs 24 billion paid upfront to Eutaw (later traced to Abubaker accounts).
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Mid 2014: Site inspection reveals slow progress and lack of heavy machinery.
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Late 2014: IGG launches investigation after whistleblower tips off Parliament.
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2015: Government admits Eutaw does not exist and cancels the contract.
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2016–2017: Project re-awarded to China Railway Group Limited; works begin afresh.
The Fallout: Who Paid the Price?
Despite the scandal’s magnitude, accountability was selective and minimal. A few low-level officials were suspended, and the contract was terminated—but no high-ranking official, including Dan Alinange, faced prosecution.
Instead, the government quietly re-awarded the project to China Railway Group Limited, which eventually completed the road in 2019. The loss of Shs 24 billion was absorbed by taxpayers. No funds were recovered from Eutaw or Abubaker.
The scandal revealed deep institutional weaknesses in procurement, internal audit bypasses, and executive protection of those involved. While the road was eventually completed, it came at double the original cost and after significant delays.
Public Outrage and Institutional Shame
The Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda (ACCU) and other civil society organizations labeled the Katosi scandal as “a monument to impunity.” The matter was also discussed in Parliament, with MPs demanding a full audit of UNRA’s operations. However, the debate fizzled out without tangible results.
The Katosi project also triggered a broader investigation into UNRA’s procurement record, revealing over 20 ghost contractors, inflated contracts, and billions of shillings lost between 2009 and 2015.
A Pattern of Plunder
The Katosi Road scandal is not just an isolated case—it is part of a broader, systemic pattern where infrastructure projects in Uganda become vehicles for corruption. Whether it’s ghost schools, fake health centers, or vanished road contractors, public investment often ends up in private bank accounts.
In a nation where roads are lifelines, the theft of road funds is not just financial corruption—it is a theft of opportunity, a theft of development, and in many cases, a theft of life as citizens die from lack of access to emergency services due to poor road networks.
The People’s Verdict
Today, commuters drive along the completed Mukono-Katosi road unaware that it sits atop a scandal that robbed Ugandans of more than money. It robbed them of trust. It sent a clear message: in Uganda, promises are made for plunder, not progress.
Quote of the Scandal:
“We thought we were building a highway to prosperity. Instead, we built a tunnel for thieves.” — Local council leader in Mukono District
Editor’s Note:
This exposé is part of our “Roads to Ruin” series, tracking Uganda’s most scandalous infrastructure failures. If you have tips or evidence related to this story, contact our investigative desk
https://hoimapost.co.ug/ugandas-stolen-billions-the-katosi-road-project-scandal-a-over-shs-24-billion-highway-to-fraud/
https://hoimapost.co.ug/ugandas-stolen-billions-the-katosi-road-project-scandal-a-over-shs-24-billion-highway-to-fraud/ , hoimapost.co.ug
https://hoimapost.co.ug/ugandas-stolen-billions-the-katosi-road-project-scandal-a-over-shs-24-billion-highway-to-fraud/ , https://hoimapost.co.ug/ugandas-stolen-billions-the-katosi-road-project-scandal-a-over-shs-24-billion-highway-to-fraud/ ,
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