Members of the UNRA Probe Commission after swearing in at the High Court in Kampala
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A commission of inquiry into\r\nallegations of mismanagement, abuse of office and corrupt practices in the\r\nUganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has commenced public hearings. The\r\nfive-member Judicial Commission, chaired by High Court’s Lady Justice Catherine\r\nBamugemereire, will conduct its sessions at the Imperial Royale Hotel’s Equator\r\nHall in Kampala. "We are opening to the public,” confirmed Hon. Lady Justice\r\nBamugemereire.
At the launch of the public hearings, the Auditor General and the Public\r\nProcurement and Disposal of Public Assets are presenting reports with audit and\r\nprocurement queries stretching 2009 to date.
\r\nThe report would be the basis of judicial inquiry and investigations into the\r\nalleged malpractices at UNRA.
\r\nRoads marred by controversies include; Hoima to Butiaba on Lake Albert,\r\nKaiso-Tonya road, Mubende – Kakumiro Road, Karuma – Pakwach road and Kanoni –\r\nSembabule road.
\r\nAuditor General, Mr John Muwanga presented financial and engineering audits and\r\nobserved that contractors are overstretched leading to variations in the road\r\nworks and prices for the contracts.
\r\n"…From 2009 to date, there were a number of issues raised including lack of\r\nstrategic plan for UNRA, shortage of qualified staff, inadequate follow up of\r\naudit issues raised, project implementation issues, lack of due diligence,\r\ninter-project borrowing and theft of authority funds,” he said.
\r\nHe revealed: "It is surprising to find that an international contract is\r\nadvertised locally while some of the expenditures were nugatory, some roads are\r\ncharacterized with substandard works and how land titles are transferred to\r\ngovernment.”
\r\nExecutive Director of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets\r\nAuthority (PPDA), Cornelia K. Sabiiti said the reports arose out of\r\ninvestigations into the complaints and procurement audits in connection with\r\nsupply and delivery of road equipment.
Eng Michael Odongo, the Executive Director of the Uganda Road Fund (URF) also\r\npresented reports on technical and financial audits stretching from 2010 to\r\n2012 and said another special audit is ongoing.
\r\nHon. Lady Justice Catherine said the 90 days’ work slated to look into the\r\nintegrity seeks to inquire into the value for money, the institutions and\r\nstructures that have delivered fit for purpose, work methods ideal for taking\r\nthe country to the next level as well as costs of road projects.
\r\n"The government and its people should be proud of this development because it\r\nis taking the fight against corruption to a new level. It is a huge step in\r\naddressing service delivery not just in terms of volume but also quality,” she\r\nsaid.
\r\nWorks and Transport Minister, Eng. John Byabagambi appealed to the public to\r\nappreciate the commission and its work; "This commission is not for witch\r\nhunting nor to victimize anybody but to streamline activities at UNRA.” "UNRA\r\nhad done a good job but it would have done more if the systems were good,” he\r\nadded.
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Commission\r\nMandate
1) To investigate and inquire into the procurement and\r\ncontract management processes by which UNRA awarded contracts for national road\r\nworks.
2) To generally examine, investigate the procurement of\r\nworks, services and supplies by UNRA.
3) To investigate and inquire into the management,\r\nsupervision and administration of national road works by UNRA.
4) To generally examine and inquire into the legal and\r\ncorporate governance structures of UNRA.
5) To investigate and inquire into the financial\r\nmanagement systems of UNRA.
6) To investigate and inquire into the acquisition of\r\nland by UNRA and generally to examine the basis and methodology employed by the\r\nAuthority to compensate land owners and persons affected by national road\r\nworks.
7) To investigate and inquire into the management,\r\nsupervision and administration of public weigh-bridges by UNRA.
8) Generally, to inquire into any other matter which\r\nappears to the Commission, to be reasonably related to the matters above or to\r\nbe in the public interest.
9) To make appropriate recommendations based upon their\r\nfindings for remedial actions or such other actions against persons found to\r\nhave acted improperly in the discharge of their public duties and those persons\r\nwho benefited from the impugned actions of the public officials.
10) To make appropriate recommendations upon their\r\nfindings for criminal prosecution or other actions against any person found to\r\nhave engaged in criminal or improper conduct.
11) To make any other\r\nrecommendations as it may consider appropriate in the public interest.
Posted 1st, July 2015
