UIA DG Robert Mukiza
The government has landed on another plot to have officials of the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) share Shs 40 billion (8 million euros).
In June, it emerged that officials of the UIA shared Shs 549 million in honoraria. Shs 300 million had been lined up for sharing in 2024.
However, the Director General of the UIA has been forced to refund the money.
These formed Evelyn Anite’s discussion on the X Spaces on Monday evening.
Anite is the Minister in Charge of Investment in the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development. Technically, she supervises the UIA through its board.
According to Anite, although the issue of the Shs 549 had been sorted, UIA officials had requisitioned a million euros from Lagan Dott, the Bristish company developing the Namanve Industrial Park. The park is being developed with a loan of 219 million euros. Although the project is at 50%, even though it should have been completed by January 2024, Anite says the accounting officer at UIA had requested the money from the company. Being a listed company, Anite says Lagan Dott petitioned the president through Finance Minister Matia Kasaija. Kasaija tasked Anite to probe the matter. The matter ended up before the President. It was from there that the President ordered the DG of UIA to drop the requisition.
In total, Anite says the DG of UIA was to receive a share of Shs 140 million (including the Shs 82 million he received from the Shs 500 million honoraria).
Anite told the Spaces that honoraria was okay. However, she said it should be paid by the government through an appropriate procedure after the works are completed.
