Mwondha snubs Parliament

Apr 03, 2009

MEMBERS of the appointments committee sat on Wednesday, waiting for the Inspector General of Government, Faith Mwondha, for vetting in vain.

MEMBERS of the appointments committee sat on Wednesday, waiting for the Inspector General of Government, Faith Mwondha, for vetting in vain.

Mwondha snubbed parliamentary summons, saying she did not need fresh vetting since she had appeared before the committee in 2005 upon nomination as IGG.

The fiery judge is crying foul and in a 16-page letter to the Speaker and copied to the President, Mwonda accused Ssekandi, the President's Principal Private Secretary, Amelia Kyambadde, and Head of Public Service, John Mitala, of “unlawfully and unjustifiably” withholding her letter of re-appointment.

“My conscience dictates that it will be premature, pre-emptive and unconstitutional for me to honour the invitation," she reasoned.
She said as the custodian of the rule of the law, she would not accept administrative injustices on her by public servants in high ranking positions.

She said she was still analysing the advice of the Attorney General “since it is full of flaws” and she would send a response to the President.

Mayor’s wife evades taxe
Geera Mosha, wife to Kampala city mayor Nasser Ssebaggala has been running Kampala City Council (KCC) canteen for seven years without paying rent, Parliament heard.

The council’s finance manager, Baka Musujja, revealed the information while appearing before the local government accounts committee to answer queries in the Auditor General’s report on the council’s land and revenue.

KCC transaction files go missing
Files containing information of companies involved in transactions with KCC have gone missing at the company registry.
Humphrey Mugoya, the assistant registrar of companies, cited to MPs on the local government accounts committee that papers for the allocation of land adjacent to Kamwokya Mosque to Busunju Coffee Dealers and transactions by Sheila Investments to manage Nakasero Market were some of those absent. The land was allocated to the coffee dealers by former mayor John Ssebaana Kizito. By the time of the investigation, Sheila Investments owed KCC sh817m in revenue arrears and sh174m to Uganda Revenue Authority.
The file for Daks Uganda, which owes KCC sh96.37m in premium, could also not be traced.

NMS blames hospitals for delay in drug delivery
The National Medical Stores (NMS) has blamed hospitals and health centres 'for not following procurement rules' hence delaying the delivery of drugs.

Officials from the drugs body told MPs on the social services committee that the shortage was also being caused by health officials who diverted funds meant to procure drugs for health centres.

“Health centre administrators complain of lack of money to procure drugs, but 70% of the Government funds for procurement of primary health care drugs, is diverted to unauthorised expenditures,” the medical stores manager, Moses Kamabare, said.

MULAGO needs sh40b to
construct heart institute
Mulago Hospital needs about sh40b to construct a new heart institute, the executive director has said. Dr. Edward Ddumba told MPs that the current institute could not accommodate the increasing number of patients.

Ddumba said half of the money would be allocated for the construction while the rest would be used to buy modern equipment.

Mulago has in the past received heart surgery equipment with the most recent donation of worth about sh3.4b coming from Saudi crown prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz. Ddumba disclosed that some of the open heart surgery machines had not been installed since the hospital had not started performing the opeartion.

Doctors have referred most heart patients to the Madras Medical Mission Hospital in India and others to South Africa. The operation in India costs about sh25m.

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Next Week...

Uganda National Health Research Organisation Bill, 2006 is expected in the House.
The Auditor General's report will be adopted.
A report on the Affairs of the National Drug Authority will be considered by the statutory authorities and state enterprises committee.
MP Christopher Kibazanga is to move a motion to urge the Government to enact a law regulating the activities of traditional healers and herbalists.

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