The Marsabit Expedition (Youtube-Clip)

“The Isiolo – Merille-Marsabit Road is part of the Lamu-Port-South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) corridor funded by the government and the European Union at a said cost of 13.7 billion shillings.The entire road is smooth apart from a few areas still undergoing construction such as bridges and a stretch of 30km to Marsabit Town” (KBC News, 2016).

Interesting findings from the AG report on “Central Government and Statutory Corporations” – Part One!

Here I will Travers through the report of Auditor General of Uganda’s Annual Report for the year ended 30th June 2015. This is on: “CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AND STATUTORY CORPORATIONS”. I will take the quotes and stories that seem to show parts of how the Government of Uganda works and what the Auditor General have cared about addressing in this specific report. Take a look! This here is Part one!

What it contains:
“This is Volume two of my Annual Report to Parliament and it covers financial audits carried
out on Central Government Ministries, Departments, Agencies, Universities and Uganda
Missions abroad” (…)”Section 2 presents my findings and audit opinion on Government of Uganda Consolidated Financial Statements including major observations” (P: 25).

Nugatory expenditure:
“Government paid UGX.26.1bn during the period under review as delayed settlements of obligations arising from contracts for construction services, Court awards, and contributions to international organizations etc” (P: 34). Comment: The government has no issues wasting giant sums of settlements it seems, shouldn’t’ there be away to not use the money on these settlements?

Unsustainable pension liability:
“The Ministry of Public Service recorded an outstanding pension and gratuity liability of UGX.199,255,907,539 as at 30/6/2015 (up from UGX.108,681,159,047 as at 30/6/2014). It was noted that the gratuity and pension arrears continue to accumulate, a fact which the Accounting Officer has attributed to inadequate budgetary provisions over the years” (P: 35). Comment: There been press release from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development during 2015 doesn’t seem like they want to fix it, instead blame the pensioners. Well, they have learned from their master right?

Understocking of the Government petroleum strategic reserves:
“In 2012, the Government of Uganda and a private petroleum company entered into a concessional agreement to refurbish, restock, maintain and manage the petroleum strategic reserve facility at Jinja. Despite the concession requiring the operator to ensure that 40% (12million litres) of the storage capacity of the products is available at all times, I noted during inspection in September 2015, there was only 274,000 litres of petrol and 331,000 litres of diesel in stock compared to the required stock levels of 20,000,000 and 10,000,000 litres respectively” (P: 38). Comment: Doesn’t seem like they follow the guidelines from 2012 and proves that the Governmental agencies doesn’t follow the plans they have or have the procurement to buy what their supposed to. This here is just barely enough considering the use of oil and diesel!

Construction of Kampala-Entebbe expressway:
“It was observed that the unit cost for the Kampala-Entebbe expressway was US$ 2.315 million per lane kilometre while the similar expressway was US$ 1.204 million per lane kilometer” (…)”This is less than half of the cost of Kampala-Entebbe Expressway which is US$.9.261 million per Km” (…)”However, a review of the services provided by the consultant’s revealed duplication of activities as the originally recruited private firm serves the same purpose as the international firm” (P: 38-39). Comment: This here has been discussed and been put out there, but still proves the misuse of funds, especially when one of the reasons is that you have two companies that have the same role on the site, instead of only one, and that adds the price per kilometer of roads.

Mismanagement of funds under the Ministry of Local Government (MoLG):
“the diverted funds revealed that UGX.3,827,011,454 remained unaccounted for and UGX.635,621,910 was questioned due to inappropriate accountabilities” (P: 39). Comment: Unaccountable use of funds is a beauty and proves that funds have been used without waivers or accounted for; where it has been used is something that we can ask, but they could by Kit-Kat bars in Masindi or extra bottle of cokes in Lira for all we know.

Fixed budget allocation for essential medicines and health supplies:
“The annual budget allocation of UGX.218bn for essential medicines and health supplies to all health facilities across the country has remained constant since 2011/2012 despite the remarkable increase in the number of patients” (P: 42). Comment: That the money are stagnate while the amount of patience goes up shows quickly; why the hospitals doesn’t have the necessary medicine? That is the simple reason why they don’t have enough.

Regional coordination and monitoring framework for Northern Corridor Integration
Projects:
“For example amounts totalling to UGX4.2bn was disbursed to fund the power interconnection and the Hoima-Lokichar-Lamu oil pipeline. However, the protocols do not provide for regional coordination and monitoring as well as the audit framework to provide an independent assurance on the utilization of joint funds” (P: 43). Comment: Money to a project that don’t have a framework for the regional coordination and can’t utilization of the funds, that means they are just sitting in the fund, without any use or monitoring it.

Compensations of Project Affected Persons (PAPS):
“Review of the compensations for the Project Affected Persons (PAPs) on the two projects of Mukono-Kyetume-Katosi road and LPC Busega revealed inconsistencies in the names of the PAPs appearing in the Chief Government Valuers report and those compensated” (…)”A sum of UGX.1.3 bn paid without resolving the inconsistencies was questionable” (P: 44-45). Comment: That already over-expensive road project that has gone over margin and had issues with the contractors of the road-building. So that the government haven’t compensated the once that lost land where the road where built. Therefore the project is even more expensive, since this will be add-ons to the ones that already registered and billed for.

Budget performance-Budget shortfall:
“21 entities budgeted to receive UGX. 2,272,017,747,273, out of which UGX. 1,481,698,945,173 was received translating into a 65% out-turn for the financial year. This left a funding gap of UGX. 790,318,802,100 (35%)” (P: 55). Comment: This here proves how the budget is underfunding and not procuring from the Ministry of Finance, Planning Economic Development (MoFPED) to deliver the cash in-due time to the projects and other state entities that supposed to get funding to do their work. The ministry with biggest shortfall was the Ministry of Energy and Mineral!

MoFPED – Payment of avoidable interest on VAT:
“It was noted that as of November, 2014, the outstanding VAT obligations for BIDCO stood at UGX.744,420,170, included in this figure was late payment interest charge of UGX.168,747,557. Accordingly, a sum of UGX.700,000,000 was paid to URA towards settlement of the tax arrears” (P: 93). Comment: Bidco got to pay less to cash to URA then expected in a settlement, instead of paying everything they needed as they hadn’t cleared in their VAT. So the government was not getting what they we’re entitled so the company of BIDCO got off cheap.

Payment of the fourth instalment under ADB Subscription:
“It was noted that the payment of Uganda’s 4th instalment of UDS.1,293,299 which became due on 16th March, 2015 had not been made. As a result, the callable shares related to the missed instalment had been suspended in line with the Board of Governors resolution on the sixth general capital increase of the bank meeting” (P: 95). Comment: This here proof that they don’t take the place in the Pan-African Bank institution, only take the loans from African Development Bank, but not taking charge in paying dues to it.

Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID):
“It was noted that the PIBID project has been operating without an approved strategic plan. The strategic plan is supposed to guide the budgeting process by creating integrated link with the annual work plans which feed into the budget to ensure effective service delivery and achievement of set project objectives” (…)”During the financial year 2014/2015, the PIBID project had a budget provision of UGX.9bn out of which only UGX.2.7bn was released as vote on account and as a result, activities worth UGX.6,682,145,000 were not under taken. (P: 100- 103). Comment: 6,3bn was not released so that is under the double, but not triple of the ones that has procured to the PIBID.

Department of Ethics and Integrity:
“Directorate’s approved structure/establishment indicated that whereas 60 posts were approved, only 46 had been filled by the year-end leaving 14 vacant” (…)”that withholding tax amounting to UGX.4,662,524 due to URA was not withheld from seven (7) service providers and as such, funds were not remitted. Failure to withhold tax exposes the entity to a risk of penalties and interest charges by URA which may lead to nugatory expenditure” (P: 111-113). Comments: This here proves the defaults on the hiring of people in the department and also mismanage off tax.

This here must been seen as interesting; the report is big, so there is more to come. This here will be series with many pieces as the actions of government is to interesting to NOT be put on blast. Peace.

Reference:
Office of the Auditor General – The Annual Report for the Year Ended 30th June 2015 – Central Government and Statutory Corporations 30th June 2015.

The local radio-station (93.0 KBS Radio) was banned by the NRM from the rally in Kakumiro Town in Bugangaizi District

Today another report have arrived in my hand that NRM and Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is tired of yet another media station. This time it is the radio station Kagadi Broadcasting Services (KBS) Radio in Kagadi Town in Kibaale District.

The Radio Station owned by MP Barnibas Tinkasimiire for Bugyaga West. Who actually are a NRM MP. It is the State House officer that has revealed it and now it spreading like wild-fire in social media. In Kibaale District the Radio Station is not allowed to attend the rallies of the President. The Radio Stations is no longer accredited to cover him and his rallies, as they cannot be a part of the rallies the President will have in Kakumiro Town Council. The issues Mzee have with the radio is that yesterday the radio sent programs exposing the failures of the NRM-Regime. The State House said even that the radio can’t send journalist to the campaign venue and surface there.

Seems like the issues with Media Coverage is grows on “the old man with the hat” as he can’t even handle a little radio station in Kibaale District. They did something as foolish right before him campaigning in the district told about the mismanagement of the nearly 30-year rule. That can’t be easy to hear as you are set in your ways. Mzee is literally again stopping the freedom of speech because it doesn’t fit his modus operandi. The President is more and more limiting the movement of the people around him and if you don’t speak his tune, he turn you away.

I am sure he would have a add-block on words I am writing about him. Not that I think he reads it, as I am teasing the leopard too much. As now the KBS Radio did as well. They are now banned and can’t listen in or broadcast the rally in Kakumiro. So the people in Kagadi get shunned from listening to Mzee as a result. I am sure they are listening to Bebe Cool’s Dembe instead of the old man’s speech with recycled pledges and wishes of loyalty to the local public and voter tourism to Kakumiro town. This is something that the radio listeners don’t really need. KBS radio will be Mzee free because of this and get other views and voices.

On the 15th of January there were two people who was setting up signs in Kagadi town, they we’re setting up signs that was “anti-Museveni” a week before Mzee himself was supposed to have rally in town. The Police did detain the activists and jailing them for putting up the banner in town. The message they had put up was: “Kidaga Town is the only town with no piped water, Tarmac streets, among others”. That was to violent message for NRM to have on the roadside while campaigning and also to violent. They breached the social contract between the public and police, therefore they was detained. It was so dangerous for society to read such a banner. They even threw tear-gas towards them who as setting it up! This here is yet another proof of the detail control the police and NRM have on the society, that hanging a banner in town that are soon having campaigns. When that report came out; I knew that the KBS report was true, because it is in the same line as NTV and wouldn’t be surprised at this point; Because the NRM have big issues with the media now-a-days! And when two men can put up a sign like that and be detained at the Kagadi Police Station, then you know something is wrong. They cannot help themselves!

Think that is enough of this today. Peace.