Kyambogo University faces fresh accountability queries

There is an adage that for a ship in choppy waters, it never rains but it pours. 

Four years after then Vice Chancellor, Prof. Omolo Ndiege, parted curtains on the malaise affecting Kyambogo University, its woes are yet to end.

According to Auditor General, John Muwanga's report for the financial year ending June 2016, Kyambogo University has audit queries exceeding sh20b.

One such accountability query is sh4.6b outstanding receivables of which a paltry sh1.7b has supporting documents.

Appearing before lawmakers sitting  on the public accounts committee earlier today, university's top brass led by the varsity secretary, Charles Okello  fail to give plausible explanation for the queries.

Muwanga noted in his report that the accounting officers at the time of the audit failed to provide documents to auditors contrary to provisions in the National Audit Act.

"The university has set up a committee to investigate this issue," Everest Bainemigisha, the university bursar, said in response to a barrage of questions from MPs Gerald Karuhanga, Peter Lokii and Fred Baseke.

Auditors attached to the committee told lawmakers that the most plausible explanation for failure to adduce documents to support accountability queries is officials swindling money and destroying documents to muddle the trail that could lead to their prosecution.

In the ninth parliament, Kyambogo University was at the center of two investigations - one by parliament's education committee and another by the inspectorate of government, over a litany of issues that were bedeviling the university.