Research Paper
Year: 2019 | Month: September | Volume: 6 | Issue: 9 | Pages: 75-79
Premature Failure of District Road Construction Equipment: Case of Northern Uganda
Okello Santo1, Peter Lating1, J.B. Kirabira1, Loum J2
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7052, Kampala
2Department of Polymer, Textile and Industrial Engineering, Busitema University, P.O. Box 236, Tororo
Corresponding Author: Okello Santo
ABSTRACT
This study examined possible factors that led to premature failure of Road Construction Equipment supplied to various districts of Uganda in 2012. In this case, the Northern Uganda Districts were selected viz: Kitgum, Lira, Gulu, Arua and Adjumani. The method for data collection included physical observation, library research, oral interviews and discussions with various stakeholders. In some aspects of the study, Gulu Regional Mechanical Workshops (GRMW) for Northern Uganda was used as a case study to map regional failure of the equipment.
It was established that, the specifications of equipment supplied were consistent with contractual specifications. It was also found that from the districts, many of the equipment were subjected to heavier task than their designed tasks. No record of repairs, periodic inspections and maintenance was available above all, the clock hour instruments that guides the maintenance schedule for most of these machines were found not working. The study also found that there is inadequate staffing in all the districts where the study was conducted. Additionally, the few staff at the districts are not qualified and lacked frequent refresher trainings. Standard operating procedure, (SOPs) were also not available in the mechanical workshops at districts. These multiple management weaknesses contributed to their premature failures. Measures proposed to help prevent early failures in these equipment includes; development of SOPs and close monitoring/supervision by MoWT, inclusion of mandatory after sales services and operator trainings on suppliers of various road equipment.
Key words: Employees, Loyalty, Management, Retail, Retention, Quality, Service etc.
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