Sarah Babirye Kityo, the embattled Uganda Netball Federation President
Parliament has recommended for the change in leadership at both the Uganda netball Federation and Uganda Boxing Federation as a condition for these two bodies to ever receive any additional funding from Government.
The details are contained in the report by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee on the 2021/2022 auditor general report for National Council of Sports (NCS) where MPs queried how the various federations utilised money charged into their custody from the Council.
While presenting the report on behalf of the Committee, Amos Okot (Agago County) urged Parliament to hold the Uganda Netball Federation and Uganda Boxing Federations accountable for the unaccounted funds and should be made to refund the money within six months of adoption of this report.
“Uganda Netball Federation failed to provide any evidence for the accountability of UGX. 139,347,810 in respect to accommodation from Safari Hotels Namibia during the pent series tournament. That Uganda Boxing Federation failed to account for UGX. 5,400,000 allegedly paid to Ready Markets Agency Ltd for catering services,” remarked Okot.
The recommendation followed the revelation by the Auditor General, John Muwanga who noted that the Uganda Netball Federation failed to account for Shs139,347,810 expenditure for the Netball Namibia Pent Series Tournament held in Windhoek, Namibia, following a review of the invitation letter from netball Namibia that revealed that accommodation costs while in Namibia would be fully paid for by the hosts, which was contrary to the argument fronted by the Netball Federation that presented to NCS receipts worth Shs139,347,810 in respect of accommodation from Safari Hotels Namibia
While appearing before the Committee, the the President of the Uganda Netball Federation, Sarah Babirye Kityo admitted that the federation had received 186,374,110,000 from National Council of Sports meant for the Namibia Tournament, but refuted in her submission the assertion that the organisers of the Tournament, Netball Namibia had fully sponsored the teams as the report of the Audit General stated.
Kityo informed the Committee that Netball Namibia only catered for inland transport to and from training venues, games venue and the airport; plus the cost for COVID test upon arrival in Namibia, but when asked to explain how the National Council could have funded the accommodation of players/staff during the tournament and yet it was to be catered for by the host, the General Secretary of the Council noted that he relied on the request by the President of the Council to pay for the accommodation. In the letter, the invitation letter attached was indeed silent on who would meet the cost of accommodation for the team during the tournament.
The General Secretary, Lawrence Ogwal further submitted that it was not until a review of the accountability report and other documents that he discovered inconsistencies in the invitation letters, adding that Netball Namibia stated in its invitation letter that they would pay accommodation at Safari Hotel for the game days day and the day before for 12 players and 5 officials 17 people in total.
“The Committee observes that there was total mistrust between the National Council of Sports and Uganda Netball federation, with accusations and counter accusations for each coming up almost on all queries in the report, which is not healthy for the smooth administration of Sports in the country. For example, most documents produced by the National Council as evidence were disputed by the President of the Uganda Netball federation on either the authenticity of the signature, content or even the headed paper and logo,” read in part the report from PAC.
However, the Committee also unearthed contradictions in the submission by Babirye when she admitted that she had paid for accommodation of 27 players and staff during the tournament and submitted full accountability for the same, but she later denied having submitted any accountability when the General Secretary of Council produced original accountability documents submitted by her as accountability.
Presented with this new evidence, Babirye denied being the author of the said accountability and what was being purported as her signature therein seemed forged and although she denied the accountability reports from the National Council of Sports and the Committee , she produced none as evidence of her accountability.
“The documents are therefore suspect and cannot, by any stretch of imagination be genuine. Indeed if the alleged author has denied them, who then is the author? On the other hand, if the Committee accepted the version of Uganda Netball Federation denying them, where is the accountability then? The President of Uganda Netball Federation accused her Vice President Technical and the Treasurer for the federation of inflating the number of people who travelled to Namibia and hiding information from her. She further accused them of a bribe of sHS30M to the General Secretary for National Council of Sports of Sports out of the money meant for the Male Championship in South Africa. She did not, however, produce any evidence to that effect before the committee,” read in part the report.
Public Accounts Committee made several recommendation including the need for the National Council of Sports to develop a Memorandum of Understanding with all registered Sports Federations and, have it clearly stipulated the grounds on which public funds would be disbursed to them-on account of proper accountability should not receive further funding until accountability is provided for until the said president aside in fulfillment of section 45(2) of the Public Finance Management Act 2015.
The Committee also asked the Auditor General to carry out a forensic audit of all sports federations that have received Federations that have received money from National Council of Sports in the last 3 years with a view of establishing whether the funds disbursed to them by Parliament were legally available for and applicable to the service or purpose to which they have been applied or charged, the expenditure conforms to the authority which governs it and has been made in accordance with the provisions of the rules of a competent authority; and the intended value of the expended monies was attained.
Parliament also adopted the recommendation of having Uganda Police through Interpol investigate the authenticity of otherwise of the accountability documents from Namibia and prosecute those responsible for; forgery, authorising false documents, conspiracy to commit a felony, abuse of office, embezzlement and any other offence that in the opinion of the DPP may be sustained.
“The respective assemblies of the federations in issue cause the disbandment of the respective leaderships as condition for accessing public funds. NCS should develop a model constitution with proper governance and leadership structures for all federations that may want to access public funds,” read in part the report.
