Budget approved after spending

By Nathan Etengu Mbale district local council on Tuesday approved and passed a sh3.6b supplementary budget in retrospect.The budget, presented by finance secretary Buyi Washirekho, covered 1997/98, 1998/99 and 1999/2000. He said the district overspent by sh683m in 1997/98 and sh560m in the 1998/99 financial years.Washirekho said sh2,413,758,739 was overspent in the 1999/2000 financial year.He said new programmes of the Nutrition and Early Childhood Development Project, Plan for the Modernisation of Agriculture and school construction were not included in the approved budget which created an imbalance and led to the excess expenditure.The Chief Administrative Officer said the council had in subsequent sittings approved the supplementary budget but extracts of the minutes of the respective council meetings that authorised the expenditure were omitted from the accounts.He said the auditor general’s office had queried the expenditure after realising that it was effected without following the required procedure. “We are wrong in that we did not link up with the chief finance officer but we have a problem and we are indeed sorry,” Wopuwa told the council.Wopuwa also denied allegations that sh100m meant for the construction of a doctor’s house and theatre at Bubulo health centre had been misappropriated. He said the money was spent on the construction of the same facilities at Bugobero health centre, within the same constituency.He said the ministry of health document that indicated that the health sub-district hospital for Bubulo west constituency wold be established at Bubulo health centre was an old document that was discarded by the district authorities.Rex Wangolo (Buwagogo), however, said the district council ought to have been informed of the changes. He said the out-going chairman, Mr. Walimbwa, lost votes in his sub-county over allegations that the funds had been diverted to Bugobero.