IGG orders govt officials to refund over Shs500m
Inspector General of Government Beti Kamya (right) speaks at an engagement with Kampala Capital City Authority councillors in Kampala on May 17. Photo | Frank Baguma
What you need to know:
- Mr Robert Vincent Nyombi, a former Secretary in the ULC, is accused of authorising an unaccounted payment of Shs325m.
- Of this, Shs73m was paid to Ms Geogis Abeland Bigirwa, the former Accounts Assistant at the Commission, and Shs13m to 13 other staff for activities they did not conduct.
The Inspectorate of Government has implicated top officials of the Uganda Land Commission (ULC) in a corruption scandal amounting to Shs511m, and ordered them to refund the money.
In an October 12 statement, the IGG notes that the money was misappropriated during the 2018/2019 Financial Year.
“The Inspectorate of Government received various complaints relating to corruption and abuse of office by officials of the Uganda Land Commission for the Financial Year 2018/2019,” the statement read.
Mr Robert Vincent Nyombi, a former Secretary in the ULC, is accused of authorising an unaccounted payment of Shs325m.
Of this, Shs73m was paid to Ms Geogis Abeland Bigirwa, the former Accounts Assistant at the Commission, and Shs13m to 13 other staff for activities they did not conduct.
The statement further indicates that the Commission paid in excess of Shs186m to Mr Benon Rwabukuru, Ms Catherine Kajwasa, and Ms Peninah as compensation for the land in Sheema Block20 Plot 49 in Sheema District.
The excess payment arose out of falsehoods by the trio which has now been ordered to refund the money.
This is a continuation of the Ombudsman cleaning of the ULC, that even Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase) audit flagged as a hub of corruption.
In July, Ms Beti Kamya, the IGG, ordered the interdiction of the commission chairperson, Ms Beatrice Nyakaisiki, over lack of accountability.
Other officials implicated
The IGG has also implicated two other government officials, who will be required to refund up to Shs247m.
Mr Michael Ojok Tokoya, an internal auditor at Uganda Virus Research Institute, has been ordered to refund Shs129m which he received as facilitation for the verification of domestic arrears of land compensation claimants, which he failed to account for upon interrogation.
Mr Steven Washington Musamali, a senior accountant at the Ministry of Ethics and Integrity, will refund Shs118m which he received as facilitation for verification of domestic arrears but the money was not accounted for.
The naming of culprits by the IGG comes as a shift in its operations, especially after declining to make public the names of officials implicated in the Shs9b scandal at the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries.
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