The
Budget Committee of parliament has ejected Kenneth Mugambe (in featured photo),
the Director Budget in the Finance Ministry for failure to justify a
supplementary expenditure of Shillings 1.1 trillion in the 2018/2019 financial
year.
Shillings 403.5 billion of the Shillings 1.17 trillion that appears under
the Supplementary Schedule 2 has already been spent. The Ministry is seeking
approval of another Shillings 770.2 billion from parliament.
According to Section 25 of the Public Finance Management (Amendment) Act 2015,
the total supplementary expenditure that is over and above what is approved by
parliament shall not exceed 3% for a particular financial year.
The law also requires that where funds are spent, supplementary estimates
showing the sums spent shall be laid before parliament within four months of
expenditure.
This morning, Mugambe appeared before the Budget Committee together with the
State Minister for Planning David Bahati to present expenditure for the spent
money and seek parliament’s approval.
However, as Mugambe took legislators through the supplementary budgets given to
different sectors, MPs questioned the rationale of spending money on the items
and demanded specific details for the expenditures.
Key among the items that raised queries was Shillings 13 billion spent on the
compensation of Project Affected Persons (PAPs) under the Amuru Sugar Cane
Project, ranchers and shortfall on funds utilized by the Commission of Inquiry
on Land matters.
The other items included Shillings 16.9 billion spent on the meals, drinks,
uniforms, beddings and protective gear for Prisons, Shillings 60 billion
provided for the implementation of E-passports and another Shillings 24 billion
spent on the purchase of motorcycles for sub-county chiefs and
others.
Dokolo Woman MP, Cecilia Ogwal criticized Mugambe for failing to provide
details on ranchers who were compensated and amount of money each beneficiary
received.
She noted that Mugambe’s presentation failed short of satisfying the
regulations under the Public Finance Management Act, which stipulates that all
supplementary requests must be for expenditure that is unavoidable and
unforeseeable.
She moved a motion that his presentation be halted until such a time when he is
able to present the committee with adequate justification and details as
required by law.
The Budget Committee Chairperson, Amos Lugoloobi concurred with Ogwal, saying
his committee needs full justification of the expenditures in line with
regulations passed under the Public Finance Management Act.
Mugambe’s efforts to explain the expenditures fell on deaf ears. Ogwal noted
that whatever explanation he was giving was out of order, saying he needs time
to go back and prepare a presentation, which complies with the law.
She then moved a motion for the committee to eject Mugambe. The officer
conceded defeat and promised to make another presentation before the committee
on Tuesday next week.
–URN
