The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) officials led by the Board Chairman Prof. Peter Kasenene were Tuesday chased away from Parliamentary Defence Committee for failure to raise the desired quorum to respond to a number of queries.
The committee had invited NIRA Board to respond to some questions, but Kasenene appeared with a few Board members.
It should be noted that the Auditor General’s report revealed gross corruption at NIRA. The December 2017 report titled “Verification of funds spent for the registration of learners exercise in the 2016/2017 under National Identification and Registration Authority” reveals that NIRA failed to account for huge sums of money, channeled billions of money to individual accounts and flouted procurement procedures.
For instance, the report says NIRA failed to account for Shs8.4 billion paid to various officials as facilitation during the learners’ registration.
The report says there were irregular payment of huge cash of up to Shs2.1 billion to individual personal accounts in the months of May to June and “funds amounting to Shs1.3 billion were deposited onto the personal account of the accountant.”
It is understood that the Committee questions were going to resolve on corruption at NIRA and its mismanagement.
Before the meeting would commence, the lawmakers tasked Kasenene to reveal the composition of the Board and the required quorum to make decisions.
Kasenene explained that for any decision to be taken, NIRA board should have a quorum of 5 members.
At this time members found out that only 3 NIRA board members alongside the Executive Director had appeared before the Committee, finding the composition outrageous for the meeting to continue.
In response, NIRA Vice Chairperson, Ruth Nvumetta Kavuma pleaded with the committee noting that they are facing a problem with the law and they find themselves in a situation where the members are called by their institutions.
“Like the EC Chair Justice Simon Byabakama is running elections; we may find ourselves not able to appear with all members, the law gives them positions somewhere not like us who are redundant,” Nvumatta said.
“I appeal for a passionate issue in this case; some of the members had committed to appear by 10:00 am not that they disrespect the committer or not take the committee serious.”
However, the plea wasn’t granted by members who further pushed that the meeting be adjourned to allow the officials appear next time when they are fully constituted.
The Committee Chairperson, Judith Nabakooba, who is also the Mityana Woman MP ruled to adjourn the meeting.
“I think it is important we give ourselves one week so that when you come back you return with at least 5 members of the board,” she ruled.
