Sack Makubuya, Bbumba, Mutebile - PAC

By JOYCE NAMUTEBI

 The public accounts committee (PAC) of Parliament has recommended that two ministers, Syda Bbumba (Gender) and Khiddu Makubuya (General Duties, Office of the Prime Minister), be relieved of their duties.

The committee has for the past one week retreated at Imperial Resort Beach Hotel, Entebbe compiling its report to Parliament.

PAC wants the two relieved of their duties for causing financial loss to the Government in respect of payment to Haba Group of Companies owned by businessman Hassan Basajjabalaba, sources on the committee said.

The pay was in compensation for losing tenders to manage city markets. The committee said the ministers should take political responsibility for the loss. It also recommended that the Inspectorate of Government and the Criminal Investigations Department pick interest in the matter, sources said.

In its about 60-page draft report, PAC also recommended that the Governor of Bank of Uganda, Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile, be relieved of his duties for acting recklessly.

The report is on payments to Haba Group of Companies and Rhino Investments. Haba was paid sh142b and Rhino Investments sh14b.

PAC has also recommended that former Solicitor General Billy Kainamura and the current acting one, Harriet Lwabi, be probed to establish their motives in the matter.

The committee urged the President to pay keen attention to the violation of guidelines by his ministers and ensure that they are corrected. Members also called for overhaul of the Attorney General’s office.

Sources said during PAC’s deliberations, there were attempts by some MPs to save Mutebile on tribal grounds, but other MPs argued that Bbumba and Makubuya should also be spared in that case.

There were also attempts to put blame on the President so that the ministers are spared.

Sources said although there were heated debates, the MPs eventually agreed on a common ground.

Last year, PAC met President Yoweri Museveni to explain his role regarding compensation to companies whose contracts had been terminated under unclear circumstances.

These included Haba, Rhino and Dura Cement Limited, which was given $16m. He was also asked to clarify on payments to the Burundi Government amounting to $13m.

The meeting was requested by the MPs after almost all witnesses mentioned his name while appearing before the committee.

The President was mentioned mainly in the compensation claim for Haba Group. The company sought sh142b in compensation for lost business after its contracts to develop the Constitution Square and manage Nakasero, Shauriyako and St Balikuddembe (Owino) markets were cancelled by the Government.

When the Ministry of Justice agreed to pay Basajjabalaba sh22b, he petitioned the President who again wrote to Makubuya to review the figures.

But the figure kept increasing from sh22b, sh55b, sh99b and finally to sh142b.