Uakutura Kambaekua
OPUWO – The construction of the state-of-the-art Kunene regional police headquarters in Opuwo has resumed after a year-long hiatus, and is set for completion by November 2024.
The building was originally set to be completed last year, but work was suspended in 2023 due to disputes between the government and the contractor.
Construction resumed last month. The initial construction began in January 2020 with a budget of N$65 million, and the project is now reported to be 76% complete.
Confirming the details to Nampa without delving into specifics regarding the suspension of one of the region’s largest projects, Kunene Namibian Police Force (NamPol) regional commander, Commissioner James Nderura, said the construction was supposed to have been completed last year.
“What I can tell you now is that construction has resumed under a new contractor, after being suspended for more than a year due to challenges between the previous contractor and the Ministry of Works and Transport,” he said.
Nderura said the project is expected to be completed by November 2024, allowing the office to be inaugurated in January 2025 to provide much-needed services to the community. He added that once finished, the headquarters would have sufficient space for the various police departments to work in and introduce additional services for the region’s population.
“We will move all the divisions to the new premises, as we are currently housed in one small building, which makes work challenging,” he said.
Nderura said the Crime Investigations Division will have its own dedicated space to focus on serious criminal investigations, ensuring cases are resolved promptly.
The new office will have its own vehicle clearance unit, sparing people the trouble of travelling long distances to have their vehicles cleared.
In view of the resumption of construction work at the headquarters, Police Inspector General Joseph Shikongo, earlier this year extended Nderura’s tenure as head of Kunene region by a year to oversee the completion of the regional headquarters.
Although Nderura turned 60 this year, he will only retire from the police in September next year.
-Nampa