We need Robust Accountability for the COVID Funds



Transparency and accountability are one of the principles that this Government boasts of and continues to preach. COVID-19 is here and several developments have happened.

First, Parliament approved a supplementary budget of 284 Billion Shillings to fight COVID-19. This was approved under Addendum 2, of the Supplementary Expenditure Schedule No. 2 for Financial Year 2019/2020 and the 284 billion shillings will be used by the Health, Security and Local Government sectors, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness and Refugees. Of the 284 Billion Shillings, the security sector was to receive Shs 77.4 billion; Shs 36.1 billion for Local Governments; Shs 59.4 billion for disaster response and Shs 2 billion to KCCA. The balance, which is about 109.1 Billion was to the health ministry. We thank the Parliament for approving this fund to help in the fight against COVID and we hope that the money will be accounted for to the latter and that Parliament will continuously play the oversight role over this money.

Secondly, Jack Ma Donated items to Uganda and in that regard, we received Uganda received: 100,000 masks, 20,089 test kits, 741 PPEs, and 1,111 face shields. Much as these were not showed to the Public, we hope they have been put to their use and that this therefor means reduction in cost of purchase of the above kits. I hope that this donation was recorded and that the money for some of these kits will be shifted to some thing else. The Ministry of healthy has continued to receive Money, items, food in donation from well wishers and we hope that this is well recorded and being used to help Ugandans across the country and that this information of how the donations were spent will be available to the public as well as the 109.1 Billion approved by Parliament.

Thirdly, a task force handling COVID Fund was established and these have since received lots of money, food and items in donation. We hope that we shall be given weekly an account of the same, it is not enough to announce how much we have received in donations and cash, but where and what has been spent and the evidence of the expenditure of giving of relief. Accountability does not stop to work in emergency situations, it must continue.

Fourthly, the ministry of ICT was granted over 3 Billion Shillings for communication. This was unnecessary. Already, UCC had guided all media houses to sensitize consumers on COVID-19 and mmedia houses are already doing this. The country is in a lock down and therefore what is the need for the Billboards. Who is going to look at the Billboards? This expenditure does not meet the value for money and is unnecessary and I hope the auditor general will pick it up. We need accountability to the latter.

Fifthly, the Ministry for Disaster preparedness was allocated 59.4 Billion Shillings to support in relief items including food. The government has been donating food items to the vulnerable in Kampala and Wakiso. There was a complaint about food being unfit for human consumption especially beans and the Minister for disaster preparedness and ICT merely brushed it off and the Minister for ICT went ahead to say that those complaining are distracters and they should “go to hell.” Imagine, a full minister using such words! This is insensitive and the minister needs to apologize to Ugandans for that because the truth has come out that the food was not fit for human consumption and that the office of the Prime Minister has asked the contractor to sort out the issue. One wonders what would have happened if there was complaint at all. There is no excuse not to follow proper procurement guidelines and involve the UNBS and NDA early to ensure the food given to our people is fit for consumption. The Office of the Prime Minister should apologize to Ugandans and in fact, compensate those who had earlier received bad food with good food. The Districts too have received relief items and food and I hope that Ugandans can put the district leaders and officials to task to account for the items donated. The districts need to ensure that these items reach the most vulnerable people in their districts and an account be furnished. The Public should be able to access these records.

We hope that the security, KCAA, Local Governments too will be able to account for the Billions allocated to them too and that at some point, we shall demand for full accountability and I call upon all Ugandans to have their eyes and ears on the ground to ensure these funds are used appropriately for the benefit of all Ugandans.

By Michael Aboneka Jr

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why we should worry about the growing inequality in Uganda

by Michael Aboneka   Uganda continues to grapple with worrying inequalities and regional imbalances.  According to World Bank (2022), half of the population was moderately food insecure and the poorest households were unable to buy food products in the desired amounts. This means that half of our population is a hungry one which can do anything for survival.  In 2021 the Ministry of Finance reported that 28% of Ugandans were poor increasing from 18% prior to COVID-19 era with about two thirds of Uganda losing income and the economy and business still staggers while the gap between the poor and rich widens further because the poor and less privileged are affected adversely proving that  Uganda’s growth is not inclusive. Recently; I saw a number of colleagues expressing their disappointment after some young men stole side mirrors of their cars in broad day light in Kampala and they were left helpless; they couldn’t even run after the thieves. The same state of hopelessness is true to maj
Read more

The US Africa-summit: What is in it for Uganda?

  By Michael Aboneka The US Africa summit, the first of its kind for eight years, following the end of the era of Donald Trump and his America first policy, just concluded. With US President, Joe Biden, deliberately playing a different tune from his predecessor Donald Trump. His was indeed a courting ode, with a promise that the US is "All in on Africa's future”. Even more endearing was the declaration that “Africa belongs at the table in every room — in every room where global challenges are being discussed and in every institution where discussions are taking place” that accompanied the promise that US will support African Union joining the G20 group of large economies as a permanent member.  Biden announced $2 billion in humanitarian aid for Africa to address acute food insecurity, with emphasis that Africa has potential to feed itself and the world and a joke that he, like a poor relative, will visit Africa and spend a long time there. The cheery tone and overt support fro
Read more

The Computer Misuse (Amendment) Bill 2022 cures no mischief

  By Michael Aboneka Jr Hon. Muhammad Nsereko sought leave of Parliament to table an amendment bill to the Computer Misuse Act in February 2022 and has now tabled the bill on the floor of Parliament. In my view, there is nothing new that the new law is seeking to cure and I am waiting to read the Regulatory impact assessment and the justifications thereof beyond public debates.  From the proposed long title of the bill, objectives and the clause on defects in existing law, it is not clear and specific enough of what mischief the bill intends to cure. The amendment seeks to largely protect the right to privacy, prohibition of unlawful access to data and spreading of false information which are already protected by existing legal frameworks such as the Constitution, Children Act, the Human Rights Enforcement Act 2019, Penal Code Act, Data protection and privacy Act 2019 among others. All these provide layers of protection that the bill seeks to do and by large, the amendment will only du
Read more