Opposition MPs hold Press Conference upon return of consultation money

He asked the IGG and Auditor General to investigate the source of this money,adding that this money should have gone to public servants who need pay rise like prosecutors and Doctors who are on strike.
He said that as opposition MPs would not take the money to fall in trap since are part of the accountability committees of parliament where are always harassing accounting officers to  stop abuse of public funds .

Busiro east mp Merdad  Sseggona and Soroti district woman MP Angelina Ossege described  the money paid to MPs for consultation as dirty and cursed. Opposition mps asked the public to force their MPS to return the money.

This is the third time parliament has given mps money to consult on bills the first one was 20 million shillings for MPs to consult on the NAADS project in 8th parliament, another one was 5 million shillings to consult on the marriage and Divorce bill in the 9th parliament.
Parliament told MPs to consult on the age limit bill starting from 25th October to 8th November and report to Parliament their findings

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University’s principal Prof.Waswa Balunywa

MPS on the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee have revived a probe into Makerere University Business School (MUBS) and Uganda Land Commission (ULC) previous land dealing  which are currently  generating conflict between the two institutions.

The MPS investigations are facilitated by the   Auditor General’s Report for the financial year 2016/17 which shows that the ULC compensated MUBS with land which had land encumbrances which was occupied by squatters on one side and swamps on the other.

According to available information, Kireka Hill View land was compensated to MUBS by ULC for part of their Bugolobi under MUBS which the commission had illegally allocated to private developers.

The Principal of MUBS Prof .Wasswa Balunywa confirmed the land problem the institution is  facing and said that the University authority is pushing the land commission to give them another piece of land with no squatters.

Prof.Balunywa said that they are rejecting the land since the land commission has failed to compensate the squatters on the land rather than MUBS.

The committee chaired by Soroti district Woman MP, Angelina Osege, said that its going to investigate the circumstances under which the MUBS at first accepted the land with encumbrances which is hindering the University to use the land.

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University’s principal Prof.Waswa Balunywa

The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee has quizzed the officials of Makerere University Business School (MUBS) led by the University’s principal Prof.Waswa Balunywa over gross mismanagement of the university funds.

The committee presided over by the Woman MP for  Soroti district Angelina Osege observed that MUBS accounting officers caused the diversion of 259 million shillings to purchase un budgeted items making the budgeted ones suffer.

Members on the committee also noted that 547 million shillings advanced to staff to carryout various activities of the university was unaccounted for.

MUBS officials especially its Principal prof.Waswa Balunywa and the University Bursar, Micheal Ruhingwa fauled for non-accountability of 93.3 million shillings paid to different visiting professors to the university ,pinning the accounting officers for  laxity to follow up any outstanding accountability  by staff.

The committee members who include the Woman MP for Soroti district,Angelina Osege, Adjuman district Woman mp Jesicca Ababiku, Rubanda East Henry Musasizi and Kiboga East MP Keefa Kiwanuka grilled the MUBS officials for procurement of travel agents to supply travel tickets to the University worth 346.2 million shillings for its staff to travel abroad to study about PPDA guidelines.

MPS noted that the travel agents supplying travel tickets to the university have been inflating the tickets prices compared to online purchasing.

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Soroti District Woman MP, Angelina Osege

Members of Parliament have put Uganda’s missions abroad  on the spotlight over their failure to  remit  funds collected from the sale Visas and rental fees of the country’s properties abroad to the consolidated fund.

The MPs says officials in these missions bank the collected funds from the Non Tax Revenue but that these funds do not reflect at the consolidated fund.

Angelina Osege, the Soroti District Woman, who also Chairs the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee said on Thursday that there have been many anomalies detected at the Uganda mission in Nairobi where by 276 million shillings was collected and that there are no receipts acknowledging funds from the people from whom the Non Tax Revenue is collected.

Keith Muhakanizi the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance.

While interfacing with the Ministry of Finance officials led by the Secretary to Treasury, Keith Muhakanizi, MPs who included that for Ntungamo Municipality, Gerald Karuhanga and Jessica Ababiku of Adjuman district questioned the Accountant General, Lawrence Semakula and Muhakanizi, over their non action yet money is being lost in Uganda’s missions abroad.

Later Semakula admitted that there is an anomaly and apologized before saying the they are going to ensure it is rectified.

“Actually as we speak, the ministry has directed the all accounting officers to encourage paying of visas through E-visa payment so as the fund is reflected to the consolidated fund directly. This is already a step towards streamlining these issues and I believe we shall rectify it,” he said.

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Soroti District Woman MP, Angelina Osege

The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee has quizzed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary, Amb. Patrick Mugoya, over the irregular posting of staff members at the Uganda missions abroad.
The Committee Chaired by the Soroti District Woman MP, Angelina Osege, while interfacing with the new PS wondered why Ugandan staffs assigned to work in foreign missions and those recruited locally lack formal guidelines from the ministry.

MPs also noted that some staff members at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recruit their relatives and post them to Foreign Service assignments without following the proper deployment structure.

The legislators pointed out that there is an irregular recruitment of local staffs especially at the Uganda mission in Rwanda.

MPs further asked the ministry of foreign affairs to enforce the rent policy for foreign service staff by acquiring them permanent residents to reduce on the expenses the country is incurring every year in
paying rent.

“The money government spends on the rent for staff at the Uganda mission in Pretoria in a year alone could be enough in acquiring permanents resident for staff. There should be a rent policy that you need to put in place to ensure we don’t continue inquiring unnecessary expenses,” Osege ordered.

Amb.Mugoya right during a handover ceremony with Amb. Mugume while Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sam Kutesa, looked on.

However, in response to the queries, Amb. Mugoya  agreed with the MPs’ observations on the issues raised saying he is currently  trying to ensure that staff deployment at foreign missions are done in accordance with the deployment structures of civil service.

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Osege in pink during a committee session of parliament.

Soroti Woman MP, Angelina Osege, says the women agenda can only be pushed forward if women in the leadership positions don’t stick in those positions but rather mentor other women to take over after them.

Osege, who is also the chairperson of the public accounts committee in parliament made the remarks during a symposium for over 50 women organizations under Uganda women net  who met in Kampala on Friday to discuss the women unfinished business, as part of the commemoration to mark the 3rd national women week.

While speaking on behalf of the opposition in Parliament, Osege also said that this has left out the potential talent and discouraged many women from joining the women movement.

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