By Paul Kiwuuwa

Abraham Byandaala, the Katikamu North MP, has been accused of causing a sh1.9b loss to Kampala City Council in connection with Nakasero Market when he was working as the city council engineer.

According to the Auditor General’s report for the financial year 2004/05, Byandaala allegedly caused the loss when he authorised Sheila Investments owned by businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba to put up structures at the market.

However, Byandaala denied any wrong doing while appearing before the local government accounts committee chaired by Geoffrey Ekanya yesterday.
KCC contracted Sheila to manage the market in 2002.

According to the report, the company refused to remit sh1.9b it collected from the market to KCC, claiming that the funds were used to construct a two-storey building, a poultry house, as well repairing the parking yard.

But Byandaala said he only approved the repairs of the toilets, the parking yard and the demolition of the poultry house.

He denied approving the construction of the two- storey building.

Byandaala instead blamed the chief town planner, Charles Kyamanwa, for authorising the construction of the structure.

He told MPs that Kyamanwa was in charge of developing the city.
Even for those repairs approved, Byandaala explained that the agreement between Sheila and KCC did not mention any money refund.

“They (Sheila) never indicated that they would claim any money on the repairs carried out. They did not include refund of any money from KCC during the course of their work. I wonder how they changed the agreement,” Byandaala told MPs.

When Ekanya insisted on written evidence of the authorisation for the repairs, Byandaala failed to show the agreement.

“I don’t have the documents authorising the repairs because I thought they were not necessary at this stage.” he said.