Members of Parliament on the Public Accounts Committee – PAC have pinned Kawempe National Referral Hospital management for unlawfully reallocating 36.870 million Shillings.
The anomaly was confirmed by Dr. Nehemiah Katusiime Arwanire, the Executive Director of the Hospital while appearing on Wednesday before the MPs who are scrutinizing queries raised in the Auditor General’s Report for the Financial Year 2020/2021.
In his report John Muwanga, the Auditor General explained that unauthorized diversion of funds is not only contrary to the Public Finance Management Act, 2015 but it negatively affects the delivery of services and negates the purpose of budgeting.
While he regretted the anomaly, Dr. Arwanire explained that the reallocation of the funds was dictated by budgetary constraints that could not accommodate the hospital’s needs and yet they were of emergency nature during the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, when tasked to explain details of the emergencies that faced the Hospital at the time, Dr. Arwanire said he could not remember, thus prompting the Kashari North MP, Basil Bataringaya Rwankwene to task him explain.
Asuman Basalirwa, the Committee Chairman demanded an explanation from the technical staff who accompanied the Director about what the money was meant for and what it was reallocated to do.
John Bosco Ebaat, the Senior Hospital Administrator said that some of the activities that the 36.8 million Shillings was reallocated to cover were emergencies including civil maintenance, repair, and service of air conditioners among others. //Cue in: “I can recall about…
Basalirwa gave the hospital administrators up to Tuesday to provide sufficient evidence to the Committee of what initial activities the reallocated money was meant to do and what it was exactly expended on.
Kawempe National Specialized Hospital was constructed built between 2014 and 2016 by the Government with funding from the African Development Bank and the Nigeria Trust Fund to provide quality and specialized health care in obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, pediatric surgery, adolescent health, HIV care, out-patient dental services and to enhance research and medical training in line with the Ministry of Health policy.
The Auditor General’s report also indicated that like Kawempe, Ministries, Departments and Agencies – MDAs and Local Governments are still experiencing challenges in implementing the budgets approved by Parliament and policy guides issued by the Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Treasury, which has continued to affect the credibility of the budget negatively.
Further, the report highlighted the challenges including; the lack of strategic plans that are aligned to the National Development Plans – NDPs, the underperformance of revenue, implementation of off-budget activities, under absorption of funds, and diversion of funds among others.
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