Keith Muhakanizi. The Secretary to the Treasury.

The Secretary to Treasury, Keith Muhakanizi, recently faced rough time from Members of Parliament on the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) over the government entities that divert funds from the budgeted items to unbudgeted ones without Parliament’s approval.

This came up as MPs sitting on (PAC) noted that in the financial year 2014/15, at total of 73 billion shillings was spent to unbudgeted items  by accounting officers of government entities  without seeking Parliament’s approval contrary to the accounting regulations.

The MPs who were meeting with the officials from the Ministry of Finance over the Auditor General’s report for the financial year 2014/15 grilled Keith Muhakanizi and the Accountant General, Lawrence Semakula, questioning why they allow the re-appointment of accounting officers who authorize diversion of budgeted funds to items which were not consider budgeted for.

Masaka Municipality MP, Mathius Mpuuga among the MPs.

The MPs who included;  the Chairperson of this Committee Angelina Ossege, MP for Rubanda East county, Henry Musasizi, Kalungu West MP, Joseph Gonzaga Sewungu and Masaka Municipality MP, Mathius Mpuuga and Buliisa County MP Stephen Mukitale at some point made Muhakanizi to sweat before the committee calling him to retire over the continued change of accounting officers from one government agencies to others despite of having abused public funds in their previous offices.

Muhakanizi however, later apologized for the re-appointment of such accounting officers but added that; “It’s not easy to retire yourself when you have not been chased”.

The Woman MP for Soroti district, Angelina Ossege, told the officials in the ministry of finance that is not right to allow the budget run on mischarge and faulted Muhakanizi for not punishing the accounting officers who allow mischarge.

Muhakanizi defended himself after serious questioning that they sacked some accounting officers over abuse of public funds and he tabled before the committee seven names of the sacked officers in 2016 and promised to sack more the same irregularities.

Some of the accounting officers he tabled before the committee who were not reappointed include the former Director in charge of Energy in the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, Eng.Paul Mubiru, the former secretary to the Equal opportunities commission, Amal Catherine, former Wakiso CAO, David Kigenyi Naluwayiro, former Zombo district CAO, Peter Okello, former CAO Nakapiripit district and the former CAO Alebtong district, Richard Rich Alioko.

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Prisoners cooking in Luzira prison.It is said lack of saucepans in the prisons makes inmates to eat in intervals with beans coming first before the cooks bring the posho.

Officials from the Uganda prison services led by their undersecretary, Simon Kimono, and today (Wednesday 26, October) had a difficult time before the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee of Parliament who grilled them over their claim that they lack enough sauce pans to prepare meals for inmates.
There was drama when MPs on this committee chaired by Soroti district Woman MP, Angelina Ossege, discovered that inmates at Luzira Upper prison eat their posho and beans meals at different intervals due to fewer sauce pans at the prison which houses over 3,000 inmates beyond it official handling capacity of 600 recommended prisoners.
The MPs were interfacing with the prisons officials over the Auditor General’s queries of the financial year 2014/15 where the prison authorities are said to have diverted 66 million shillings meant for food to purchase fire wood instead.
MPs while grilling the officials enquired on why they give inmates food at midday and beans at 2pm in the day instead of having a full meal of the day. They also heard that the inmates are served beans and posho at different time because of few source pans available for cooking.
The legislators were surprised to learn that the prison cooks first serve inmates with beans before they embark on preparing posho using the same saucepans.

This angered the MPs who then questioned to why the prison authority could not budget for purchase of enough saucepans so as inmates get both food and sauce at the same time.

Matheniko County MP, John Baptist Lokii.

“Why didn’t you in your budgets ensure that you include enough money for cooking utensils? How do you feed inmates in such an inhuman manner? This should stop in the near future,” charged Matheniko County MP, John Baptist Lokii who is a member of the committee.

However, the commissioner in charge of custodial services at the Uganda prison services, Robert Munanura, told the committee that upper prison in Luzira and other prisons have fewer saucepans because of under funding.

Another commissioner in charge of planning and development at Uganda prison services, Eli Muhumuza, said that the Uganda prison service requested for 54 billion shillings this financial year for inmates meal but were only given 22 billion shillings.
Lokii however, said that he may be forced to move Parliament to block the passing of the prison service budget if they do not buy more saucepans for cooking inmate’s food.
Kimono apologized for some mistakes and promised to ensure that things are done in the better way in prisons.

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President Yoweri Museveni.

President, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni last week appealed to the Parliamentary Commission to consider extending the payment of pensions and gratuities to include all the former MPs not just those of the 9th and 10th Parliament.

Museveni said this recently during the Golden Award Ceremony of 1162 MPs who served the country right from the 1st to the 9th Parliament when Uganda celebrated its golden Jubilee.

The President says the government cannot fail to look after 1,000 people who in the last 50 years made a contribution to the development of this country.

The appeal was made when one of the Golden Jubilee Medalists asked that as former legislators, Parliament considers also accompanying their awards with some token of appreciation in form of money.

Mathias Nsubuga, the former Bukoto South MP expressed the need for a resource envelop that can cater for families of former MPs most of whom cannot cater for themselves.

Another MP, Gilbert Oulanya, the Kilak County Member of Parliament did not also differ much saying that government needed to do more for these families either by either schooling their children than giving simply empty medals.

Meanwhile former Rubaga South MP, John Ken Lukyamuzi does not support attaching monetary value to the medal. Lukyamuzi was however, among the few opposition politicians who turned up to receive the medals.
He said boycotting the ceremony is meaningless and he received a medal not for President, Yoweri Museveni but for his own contribution to Uganda’s democratic struggle.

Some of the prominent opposition politicians including Dr. Kizza Besigye, wife Winnie Byanyima, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Party President Mugisha Muntu, Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Winfred Kiiza  did not show up  for the Golden Jubilee medal awarding ceremony.

Others are Democratic Party (DP) president and former Gulu Municipality MP Norbert Mao, former Mbarara Woman MP Miria Matembe, former Kampala Central MP Erias Lukwago and others.

The awarding occasion is provided for under the National Honours Award Act, 2001.

The medalists were read out by, General Elly Tumwine who is the Chairperson of the Presidential Awards Committee.

Museveni was later invited to decorate the medalists who were recognised for work done in building Uganda’s democracy.

However, Gen.Tumwine cautioned those who received the medals to handle them with care and put them on with pride since they remain a property of the republic of Uganda.

About 300 Members of Parliament since 1962 to 2012 did not pick their Golden Jubilee award medals, though 600 million shillings was injected in for their procurement and preparations to about 1400 beneficiaries.

Reports from the officials who were giving out invitation cards and identification tags to the beneficiaries of the medals say that most of the Opposition MPs shunned the awarding ceremony and hence causing wastage of funds used for making   invitation cards, identification tags and booking eats they said.

The award is in recognition of the present and former MPs for their contribution to the democratization of the country and some of them missed the medals due to lack of transport facilitation especially to those who served in the first Parliaments.

The awarding ceremony held at Serena hotel on Monday and officiated by the President was attended by few opposition MPs because others did not want to associate with the President and prefer to pick them after without the President’s hand shake.

Among of those who boycotted the function include; the former  Democratic Party President, Dr.Paul Kawanga Ssemwogerere,John Sebana Kizito ,Mukono Municipality MP, Betty Nambooze Bakireke ,Leader of Opposition Winfred Kiiza ,Kampala Central MP, Mohammed Nsereko , Erias Lukwago ,Bugweri County MP, Abdul Katuntu ,Soroti Woman MP, Angelina Ossege ,Lubaga North MP, Moses Kasibante ,Busiro South MP,  Merdad Segona ,Masaka Municipality MP, Mathias Mpuga among others.

Others are the former FDC Leader, Dr.Kiiza Besigye’s wife Winnie Byanyima ,former Leader of Opposition, Wafula Oguttu  and Latigo Ogenga ,Democratic Party President, Norbert Mao ,former Mbarara district MP, Maria Matembe among others.

The few opposition MPs who attended the function include the Kilak North MP,  Gilbert Oulanya, Kasilo County MP, Elijah Okupa ,Lira district Woman MP, Joy Atim , Aswa County MP, Regan Okumu among others.

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former Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Patrick Mutabwire.

The former Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Patrick Mutabwire, last week  failed to explain to MPs the circumstances under which over 12 billion shillings was diverted.

Mutabwire was appearing before the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee on Thursday Chaired by Soroti district Woman MP, Angelina Ossege.

The money was meant to procure 111 vehicles for all district chairpersons and six other vehicles for the ministry for the financial year 2014/15.

The Auditor General’s Report for the financial year 2014/15 shows that over seven (7) billion shillings was released to aid partial payment of the district vehicles and full payment of all the six vehicles requested by the ministry but only 1.5 billion shillings was used and the balance was diverted to recurrent expenditure without authority from Keith Muhakanizi, the Secretary to the Treasury.

The money was later diverted to personal accounts of ministry officials. Mutabwire in his defense said that most of the money was diverted to cater for pressing needs in the ministry including the African Day of Decentralization.
“These activities would have to be done and have them completed 100% but (ministry of) Finance was to spread releases throughout the financial year,” Mutabwire said, provoking bitter reactions from members.

Mathias Mpuuga, the Masaka Municipality legislator asked whether the activities  were an emergency to no response.

In October last year, Irene Mulyagonja the Inspector General of Government indicted Mr Mutabwire the then acting Permanent Secretary of Local Government following allegations of  incompetence and graft, replacing him with John Walala.

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Mulago hospital’s Executive Director Dr. Byarugaba Baterana

This was during the committee sitting where the hospital Executive Director, Dr. Byarugaba Baterana among other officials appeared to answer queries in the Auditor General’s report of 2013/14.

According to the report, the hospital failed to declare a tune of 1.2bn shillings as receivable from private patients.

Among the companies mentioned to have not paid their bills even after their patients had received treatment include Vision group, Bank of Uganda, Sheraton Hotel, parliament, ministry of Defense among others.

The Committee Chairperson whose is also MP Soroti district, Angelina Ossege blamed the hospital management for letting such high profiled entities consume services they don’t pay for yet this is not the case when it comes to handling the peasants.

The Auditor General notes that by the hospital’s failure to declare these receivables, it might lead to inappropriate accountability in case this money is paid at any time because of absence of any records.

Meanwhile, the hospital Executive Director Dr. Byarugaba Baterana threw MPs into laughter when he sympathised with the mentioned companies that they didn’t have money to pay the bills by the time of audit and they could not be denied services.

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