ROKO Construction Company

ROKO Construction Limited, also Roko Construction Limited, is one of the top five construction companies in Uganda, according to "Construction Review Online", as of April 2021. Headquartered in Kampala, Uganda's capital city, ROKO, as it is often referred to, is active in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, DR Congo, Tanzania and South Sudan.
Overview.
ROKO was established in 1969 by two engineers; the late "Max Rohrer" (1935–2005), a native of Germany and the late "Rainer Gottlieb Koehler" (1931–2013), a native of Switzerland. As of April 2021 the company employs over 850 full-time staff and over 1,180 temporary workers of diverse nationalities, including over 100 key staff, of whom about half are engineers.
Over the years, ROKO has built a reputation as a reliable engineering and construction company that delivers quality work, on time and usually within budget. To stay close to timelines and minimize costs, materials are sourced within country or within region and if sources outside the continent, there is a dedicated international supplier who understands the need for timely delivery.
Ownership.
The business is privately owned by the families of the two original founders.
Subsidiaries and affiliates.
As of April 2021, the company maintains the following affiliates and/or subsidiaries:
1. ROKO Rwanda Limited
2. ROKO South Sudan Limited
3. ROKO Congo Limited
4. ROKO Technical Services Limited
Governance.
The Roko Construction board of directors has six members:
1. Jean Mann Koehler: Chairperson
2. Mark Koehler: Managing Director
3. Peter Mugarura: Director
4. Derek Claassen: Director
5. Brigitte Koehler: Director
6. Willie Swanepoel: Director
Projects.
This is a partial listing of past and current construction projects, where ROKO Construction is or was the lead contractor:
1. Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs, Namugongo: Work began in 1967 and was concluded in 1975. ROKO, the lead contractor, went back and carried out major renovations in 2015.
2. Mapeera House, the headquarters of Centenary Bank, on Kampala Road, in Kampala, Uganda's capital city. Construction began in 2007 and was completed in 2012.
3. DFCU House, the headquarters of DFCU Bank. Constructed at 46 Kyaddondo Road, on Nakasero Hill, from 2011 until 2013.
4. JLOS House Project, a proposed three-component government office development project in Uganda's capital city of Kampala, to house the offices of the "Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS)".
Recent developments.
As of November 2020, the government of Uganda owed Roko Construction Limited a sum of USh46,997,280,913.08 (approximately US$13 million) at that time, being payment for completed or ongoing work, according to Matia Kasaija, Uganda's Minister of Finance, as reported by the Red Pepper Newspaper. Roko was going through a temporary cash flow crunch at that time.