Office of the Auditor General makes landmark in Karamoja audit

With efforts in enhancing service delivery across the country, the office of the auditor general has commissioned a multi-million office complex in Moroto town.

Karamoja regional office is unique being the first to have staff housing units provided. The two decent units including the satellite office spread apart in a well trimmed compound surrounded by a one and half meter high parameter wall.

The houses will be used by the principal and senior auditor.

The construction was undertaken by Zhongao Overseas Construction Company limited at a contract price of ush 3,021,509,023.

 The Auditor General, John Muwanga waters a mango tree planted the Moroto office

However, the final contract sum was envisaged to be Ushs 3.297, 567,023 reflecting an increment of only 9.1 percent.

The  breaking of the ground took place on June 1, 2017 and the main construction work completed on July 20th, 2018, a year later. The project is now in its defects liability period. The facility is located along Army barracks road, 200 metres from Moroto's famous plus junction.

According to the audit office the establishment of the office will reduce the distances of travel by the auditors to the regional offices.

The commissioning of Moroto office will now bring the total number of regional offices to 11 including Mbarara, Masaka, Fort Portal, Arua, Gulu, Soroti, Hoima Mbale, Jinja and Kampala.

The speaker of parliament Rebecca Kadaga who officiated at the commissioning ceremony of the office located on barracks road at the heart of Moroto municipality said the office will boost audit in the Karamoja region.

"We can now handle our work in the region without hassle," she said.

Kadaga added that Karamoja was now open for business in many directions saying that the level of impunity was now so great.

"People embezzle, steal funds without fear," she said.

However, the speaker said she was happy with the office of the auditor general that recently recovered huge sums of millions hidden by unscrupulous people on their accounts.

The minister for Karamoja affairs, John Byabagambi said with the creation of OAG in the region, the region will now realise value for money.

He however, said the pace at which Karamoja was moving is so great.

In his remarks, The auditor general John Muwanga said with the construction of Moroto office, the Office of the Auditor General's presence is now well spread across the country.

"It's one of our strategic objectives as laid out in our corporate plan 2016 - 2021 to enhance operational dependence," he noted.

Muwanga added that the Moroto office was yet another significant milestone as the intervention is intended to bring services closer to the masses thus enhancing efficient service delivery.

He said the mandate of the OAG is to audit and report to Parliament. The mandate is derived from article 163 and 154(3) of the constitution of the Republic of Uganda, 1995 (as amended).

‘This mandate is further amplified in the national Audit Act, 2008 sections 13 (1) and 18," Muwanga noted.

Therefore, he said OAG is thus the supreme audit institution in Uganda whose vision is to be efficient hence effective in promoting efficient public accountability.

  "I applaud our development partners, German government through their development bank who funded this milestone. Because of the difficulties in getting accommodation in Karamoja, we have planned to construct living quarters to accommodate all staff," Muwanga said.

 The woman legislator for Moroto Stella Atyang said, ‘Corruption was one of the greatest enemies of Uganda.

"If there was strict adherence to the rule of law, efficient and good governance our country would have developed," she noted.

Atyang urged Ugandans to work hard to achieve zero tolerance to corruption in the country.

"The office of the auditor general needs to create public awareness on its office locations and functions up to the grassroots.

 Karamoja regional office was curved out of Soroti office. It will take charge of the eight districts, related town councils and municipalities of Kotido and Moroto. 

Districts include Moroto, Nakapiripirit, Amudat and Napak. Others include Kaabong, Abim, Kotido and Moroto Regional Referral Hospital.