MPs summon UBC boss over masts

By Henry Sekanjako 

The Parliamentary committee on Commissions, Statutory and State Enterprises (COSASE) has summoned the managing director Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) Paul Kihiika over UBC properties.

The committee, chaired by Kumi County Mp Patrick Amurait, wants Kihiika to provide the committee with information on UBC transmitters among other radio equipment that have ended up in private radio stations.

“We have written to the managing director UBC to appear before the committee on Wednesday this week. We want to interface with him and clarify on issues concerning properties of UBC,” Amurait said.

The committee also wants Kihiika to explain the circumstances under which ten radio stations that were disconnected failed to pay electricity bills and how they were connected to the UBC mast in Kololo.

Over the weekend, UBC disconnected ten radio stations including BBC that had failed to pay not only for electricity, but also for the monthly rentals, and those that were illegally connected to UBC masts.

A day for answers

Amurait noted that: “UBC is something we shall spend a whole day looking at on Wednesday. We shall not sit down and watch UBC being torn down. People are calling me asking what the committee has done about scandals facing the state television.”

He said that after interacting with Kihiika, the committee would also summon former ministers Kabakumba Masiko (information and presidency) and Kirunda Kivejinja who Kihiika recently implicated for leasing and directing sale of part of UBC land located on plot M47 Kibira Road Bugolobi.

“We want to fight corruption in UBC. People are very much concerned about the rot that is currently going on in UBC,” Amurait sounded optimistic.

He added that the committee would move on to fully investigate the issue of UBC land that has been wrongfully disposed of under unclear circumstances after it is done with the UBC broadcast equipment probe.

Late last year, former minister for presidency Kabakumba was implicated for illegally using a public transmitter belonging to UBC for her own radio station in Masindi which forced her to resign her ministerial post.