UNRA Executive director, Allen Kagina.

The Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) has ordered the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) to give the committee names of all the Authority staff who initiated and approved the unjustified payment during the reconstruction of Mbarara-Ntungamo-Kabale –Katuna road a project that cost 65 billion shillings.

The committee while meeting the old UNRA executive led by Sebuga Kimeze and new executive Director, Allen Kagina, noted that there was unjustified inclusion of transport costs, losses and taxes in the use of revision of price leading to a loss of 154,955 Euros.

The Committee chaired by the Woman MP for Bukedea district, Annita Among, said that UNRA should recover this money from the UNRA officers who authorized this payment.

Former UNRA spokesperson Dan Alinange explains to MPs the progress of the Mbarara-Ntungamo-Katuna.

The unjustified payment was effected to Reynolds Construction Company according to Auditor General’s report for the financial year 2014/15.

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Business man Karim Hirji of the Imperial group of hotels.

Business man Karim Hirj last week confirmed that the 262 million shillings given to him by President to purchase a transformer during the 2007 Common Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) was a gift.

Karim told this to a team of four MPs who had been sent by the Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) which is chaired by Bugweri County MP, Abdul Katuntu, at Imperial Royale hotel to verify the status of the transformer in question.

President Yoweri Museveni in 2007 before the hosting of CHOGM directed the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to advance the money to Karim’s Hotel Imperial Royal to buy a transformer so as to light up the hotel that was among those identified to host guests.

The auditor general’s report of 2014/15 queried the action stating that it was public money which should be refunded by Karim to REA.

Imperial Royal Hotel that President Museveni directed Rural Electrification Authority to give over 200 million Uganda shillings for the purchase of a transformer.

After the fact finding tour by MPs on COSASE on whether the transformer bought was still functioning at Imperial Royal Hotel, Karim informed MPs that he even has a letter that states that the transformer was a donation.
However, Katuntu insisted that anyone who used public money whether in a form of donation or grant, he or she has to pay back thus summoning Karim to appear before the committee on Thursday this week.

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Anita Among, the deputy chairperson COSASE of Parliament.

The directive was made by the  deputy chairperson of the committee, Anita Among, after the query raised by the audit report of 2014/15 showing that UBC had failed to collect debts from different debtors to a tune of over 30 billion shillings .

The committee while meeting UBC officials led by the corporation’s managing director, Winston Agaba, noted that UBC signed no agreement with parliament to air its preceding at any cost but are surprised to see UBC books of accounts showing that parliament owes them 10 billion shillings .

UBC management has been for the past years claiming parliament is indebted to UBC funds worth 10 billion shilling after airing its plenary proceedings.

MPs also directed that UBC submits its asset register by 30th November 2016 after the audit’s report indicated that UBC management doesn’t know its assets across the country.

Meanwhile the Management of UBC has also been grilled over non-remittance of 5% employees NSSF.

The auditor general’s report of 2014/15 implicated UBC management of failure to remit the savings of 17bn shillings and over 30bn yet their books of accounts showed the deduction of the money on each employee.

In reply the managing director of UBC, Winston Agaba, said the failure is due to the financial crippling the cooperation is in.

The headquarters of the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC).

Furthermore he also informed the committee that UBC has also not paid 247 workers since September of this year which is also affecting their output.

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The directive was given following a discovery by the legislators that UNRA commissioned the operation of Kyoga one ferry on Zengebe –Namasare between Nakasongola and Amolter district without insurance.

The Committee Chaired by the Member of Parliament for Bugweri County, Abdul Katuntu, were shocked to learn that Kyoga one ferry has been operating on water for three years yet it has never been insured.

The discovery surfaced while the MPs grilled the Director Road Infrastructure protection at UNRA, Reuben Byaruhanga Tumwebaze.

The MPs who included; that of Kasilo County, Elijah Okupa, Woman MP for Bukedea, Anita Among said that the ferry is putting the people’s lives in danger while the travel on water.

Katuntu told UNRA officials to insure this ferry, warning that he will order police to put to rest its operations if its insurance is not secured soon.,

Allen Kagina the UNRA boss.

In her response the Executive Director UNRA, Allen Kagina, admitted that there has been a delay to secure the insurance for Kyoga one ferry, saying that it was caused by the bureaucracy with the insurance company which  they had identified to do the job.

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Eng. Dr. Ajedra Gabriel Gadison Aridru

The implicated minister in the irregular land allocation to investors has dismissed the findings by the members of parliament sitting on the Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE), saying the findings were biased against him.

Eng. Dr. Ajedra Gabriel Gadison Aridru who is the minister of state for Investment says that the committee report has errors and omissions and misinformation. He says that he never employed his tribesman Basil Aja as Director Small and medium Enterprises dropping Charles Musana who had better qualifications than Aja. He says that Aja was approved by a penal and his name was brought to him after serious examination and added that Basil Aja is a son of Lango not west Nile as portrayed by the chairperson of COSASE while reading the committee report last week before parliament.

Ajedra says that he will not resign as demanded in the committee report because the committee’s report was based on misinterpretation of facts. He says that his ministry has reposed 540 acres of land from investors whom he termed as speculators who failed to redevelop the land within 18 months.

The minister was also pinned for allocation of  10 acres of land to Picfare and other companies which had  defaulted in paying for land. These companies included Tiang-Tang Group limited belonging to Chinese Nation which was allocated 2o Acres against the solicitor general’s advice; the minister paid a deaf ear to this advice. Tiang-Tang Group of Company wanted to set up a furniture company on the Namanve industrial Park, Wakiso District,also included is Alied graphic system which defaulted in paying for land in Namanve and had conflicts with Tiang-Tang over the 20 Acres but later it was allocated land in Luzira.

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