📸: MPs fault UDC on failure to provide Speke project accountability
Oct 20, 2023
Patrick Birungi, the executive director of UDC, said he did not have the financial documents and blamed it on Covid-19 whose break out he said disrupted the process.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa chairing the session as the human rights debate goes on at parliament.(Photos by Maria Wamala)
By Nelson Mandela Muhoozi and Andrew Arinaitwe
Journalists @New Vision
_______________________ Mathius Mpuuga, Leader of Opposition Robinah Nabbanja, Uganda's prime Minister
Legislators sitting on Parliament's Committee of tourism, trade, and Industry have queried officials from the Uganda Development Corporation (UDC) over their failure to financial accountability for the progress of the Speke Resort Convention Centre.
The presiding chair of the committee Geoffrey Okello (Nwoya East County, DP) said during the meeting with UDC officials and their board members on Thursday that it is important to find out if the Government’s investment in the Speke Resort Convention Centre is a feasible one.
“We want to understand how the Government’s investment in Munyonyo [Kampala] is progressing. This is because our decision to assess the feasibility of the investment needs a very well-evaluated position for which we need the financial statements,” Okello said.
However, the UDC officials appeared unprepared as they made frantic phone calls to have documents photocopied for members of the committee to follow through.
Patrick Birungi, the executive director of UDC, said he did not have the financial documents and blamed it on Covid-19 whose break out he said disrupted the process.
"I can guide only if I have the audited financial results for the last four years and we don't have them. My prayer is, allow us two months to provide the audited results otherwise we are relying on historical data," Birungi said.
He added: "The quorum for both the board and the AGM requires that there is a government representative who was not available," Birungi said, and revealed that for the period between 2019 to 2022, there were no audited results.
Most legislators were unhappy with the response as James Olobo (Kioga North County, NRM), revealed that two months was too much to be permitted. "Two months means we shall meet next year," Olobo said.
The deputy chairperson of the committee, Catherine Lamwaka (DWR Omoro, NRM), described the issues raised as matters of concern since taxpayers’ money was involved.
"We are left without an option but to wait because our decisions to gauge the reliability of these investments rely mostly on the financial statements for the four years," Lamwaka said.
The Munyonyo Common Wealth Resort Ltd in collaboration with a private sector player (Meera Investments) was created to manage government investments to host the commonwealth heads of government meetings in 2006.
The government owns about 15 million shares in the Speke Resort Convention Centre investment. Lawmakers on Parliament’s Budget Committee also recently raised governance and accountability concerns over the shillings 86.4 billion ($23m) in funding for the construction of a conference hall at the Speke Resort Munyonyo Hotel, which is owned by businessman Sudhir Ruparelia.
The investments have since expanded to at least three projects in the Munyonyo compound namely the Speke Resort Convention Center, Munyonyo Common Wealth Resort, and the Speke Resort.
Blocked from inspecting the site
Hannington Wakayima (Nansana Municipality, NUP), said in the past they had an embarrassing experience when as a committee they visited the Munyonyo site.
"The visit was never done because of the character of Sudhir. We were refused to enter the premises. If you reject MPs from inspecting the work done and you come to demand for money, does it resonate well?" Wakayima questioned UDC officials.
Geoffrey Ssolo Kayemba (Bukomansimbi South County, NUP), said the situation the MPs faced during the visit was so disconcerting.
"Imagine a committee that comes on behalf of the government to see where we invest our money and instead security men come with guns to stop us. This was unbecoming," Kayemba said.
In response, Birungi said Sudhir regretted the incident and blamed it on security protocols.
"My partner (Sudhir) is now willing to receive the committee. He (Sudhir) regrets it. It will happen again,” Birungi said, and asked legislators to forget the incident saying they are free to inspect the Speke Resort Convention Center which is under construction any time.
Okello asked Birungi to provide a report on the nature of construction and that some engineering irregularities needed to be addressed.
When asked about how much money had so far been invested in Munyonyo, Birungi said he would bring all the figures with the audited financial statements after they had been audited.
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