AFDB bans Chinese road building company for graft in Uganda  

According to Business Daily Africa, the ban on the Chinese road constructor will last for 12 months effective March 28 and will stop them from participating in any new AFDB-funded project in the continent.  

The Ban affected an ongoing road construction project being handled by CHICO in Kenya.  

An AfDB investigation revealed that the Chinese road builder engaged in fraudulent activity in the procurement of their most recent project in Uganda.   

The development bank said the road project connecting the Southwestern and eastern parts of Uganda is crucial to promoting regional integration and cross-border trade with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya. 

CHICO has road projects in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda funded by the AFDB, World Bank and Local Government some of which were marred by irregularities from CHICO.  

The AFDB has lately dished out strings of disciplinary measures on companies working under its purview.  

Last year it banned five companies from working on projects funded by the bank or its affiliates on the grounds of the companies engaging in fraudulent activities.  

CHICO would be expected to implement an integrity compliance program before it can resume working with the AFDB after the ban.  

Throughout the one-year ban, CHICO group and its subsidiaries would be ineligible to partake in any AFDB-funded project.