Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) - Uganda Multimedia News & Information

Cabinet to scrap UNRA , NMS in merger of government agencies

Agnes Tumuheire — Mon, 03 Sep 2018 08:59:07 +0000

The decision was taken in two meetings with the first held on August 20 and the last one on Monday last week according to a source.

The source said President Yoweri Museveni was unhappy with the UNRA performance, especially in the rural areas where roads are impassable yet it is where majority of votes for his NRM party are.

Efforts to confirm the Cabinet decision with the Minister for Information, Mr Frank Tumwebaze, were futile. Two of his known mobile phones were switched off.

Deputy Minister for Information, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, too did not respond to our calls and message about the resolution.
The Deputy Director of Uganda Media Centre, Col Shaban Bantariza, confirmed the decision to re-organise government agencies, but said he did not have details.

“I know a decision was taken but I do not have details of how many will be affected or their status in the new arrangement status,” Col Bantariza said and referred Daily Monitor to the director of Uganda Media Centre, Mr Ofwono Opondo for further details.

(source: Daily monitor)

The post Cabinet to scrap UNRA , NMS in merger of government agencies first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

URA defends payout to civil servants as MPs call for a probe.

Samuel Wamuttu — Fri, 06 Jan 2017 07:53:57 +0000

The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has come out to defend the reward of over $1.6m (about 6 billion Uganda shillings) to civil servants who participated in a Uganda government legal battle with a UK-based Heritage Oil Company.

Ms Sarah Birungi Banage, (R) the assistant commissioner – public and corporate affairs of URA.

In a press statement released on Thursday, Sarah Birungi Banage, the Assistant Commissioner Public and Corporate Affairs with URA dismissed as false recent media reports suggesting that the beneficiary officials had earlier ‘hatched a plan’ to share the oil bonanza saying the transaction was both legal and had duly been approved through the Attorney General’s office.

The entire team came from URA, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development.

“It is standard international best practice for employees to receive bonus payments/or honoraria for exemplary performance in both the public and the private sector. Equally under the Ugandan Constitution; the President has a prerogative as a fountain of honor to reward exemplary performance and this has been exhibited in the fields of health, academia, sports among others,” Banage’s statement reads in part.

The payments which have popularly been referred to as a “presidential handshake” have caused a lot of debate among Ugandans with some members of the civil society and a section of members of parliament calling for an investigation to the transaction saying it didn’t follow the due process of the law.

According to the Observer newspaper, a section of MPs have demanded that the Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, urgently institute a probe into the payments since the involved officers are public servants who draw a monthly salary for their work with government.

Paul Amoru the Dokolo North MP

Dokolo North MP, Paul Amoru, is quoted to have described the payments as “irregular, uncalled for and disturbing” and called for an immediate investigation into the matter.

“For us, as concerned MPs, from the information we have, URA should answer to the Parliamentary committee whose work directly deals with that to help us answer certain questions.It is unprecedented and dangerous,” Amoru said.

He was among MPs who called for a press conference on Wednesday in which a sizeable number of them said they want to clearly understand the source of this money and the person who authorised its payment.

Reports indicate that at least 42 officials benefitted from the bonus for their role in the capital gains tax dispute, in which the Ugandan government was awarded a combined total of USD700m.

However, Banage says there has been a lot of misconstrued information published in some dailies and online publications to the fact that payments were illegal, no approvals were obtained and that government officials ‘hatched a plan’ to share the oil bonanza.

“There is a lot of inaccuracy in the amount of money and the names of beneficiaries some of whom a former and current employees of URA. For example the following people both current and former staff of URA are erroneously included in the circulating lists namely;- Kyomuhendo Irene, Nabwire Agnes W, Nyakwera Jennipher, Nanziri Justine Stella, Wabokha Robert, Sebyala Samuel, Semombwe Charles, Patrick Mukiibi, Kateshumbwa Dicksons, Saka M Henry, and Otonga Michael Ochan,” Banage wrote.

Banage explained that contrary to the public view about the payments, all the legal processes were done before approvals were made as required by the Financial Management Act and that a Commissioner General was appointed to disburse the respective payments.

She added that the payment was a fraction of less than 1% of the total money won in the case.

Media reports have named the civil servants, who benefited, including, Ms Doris Akol, Head of URA (the initiator of the suit), her predecessor Allen Kagina who now runs the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA), the former Attorney General, the former Secretary to the Treasury, and the head of Kampala Capital City Authority, Jennifer Musisi, who headed the tax body’s legal department at the time.

In 2010, Heritage Oil sold its interest in Uganda to Tullow Oil at over $1.5bn, and the Ugandan government decided to impose a capital gains tax on the sale. But the oil firms refused to pay and the drawn-out dispute went on to the UK court of arbitration, where it was concluded in 2015.

The post URA defends payout to civil servants as MPs call for a probe. first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

MPs order UNRA to rein on staff who wrongly approved 65 billion to a construction firm

Gerald Businge — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 08:46:23 +0000

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.

The post MPs order UNRA to rein on staff who wrongly approved 65 billion to a construction firm first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

MPs accuse former UNRA directors of forging contract documents.

Isaac Senabulya — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 08:12:14 +0000

MP Abdu Katuntu the Chair of the Committee.

The Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (CCOSASE) recently pinned the former Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) directors for forging contract documents in the awarding of a 138 billion shillings contract.

According to the auditor general’s report of 2013/14 there was variation on the dates of signing and awarding contracts meant for the construction of Vurra-Arua-Koboko-Araba road.

Auditor general report also indicated that within the contract document a page was missing and a different unedited page was inserted which may have caused price fluctuations.

This caused the committee members while meeting the old team of UNRA headed by Eng.Kimeze Ssebuga to get suspicious of corruption connivance amongst UNRA officials and directing UNRA serving boss, Allen Kagina, to submit the contract documents for scrutiny by the committee.

A grader works on Vurra-Arua-Koboko-Oraba road.

The Chairperson of the Committee who is also Bugweri County MP, Abdul Katuntu, said that the contract in question should be subjected to a legal audit when given to parliament by UNRA boss by Friday this week.

The post MPs accuse former UNRA directors of forging contract documents. first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.

MPs warn UNRA on the use of uninsured vessels operating on water bodies.

Isaac Senabulya — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 13:35:31 +0000

Members of Parliament on the Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) have directed the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) to stop authorizing vessels operating on waters without being insured.

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.

The post MPs warn UNRA on the use of uninsured vessels operating on water bodies. first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.