President Museveni in one of his new Benzes at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds
during the Golden Jubilee celebrations October 9. PHOTO BY STEPHEN
WANDERA.
Ms Hellen Lanyom’s mouth which was cut off by the LRA rebeles, is now
emitting pus and her ability to perform any tasks is reducing by the
day. PHOTO by Moses Akena.
FIRST READ:
For
God and my country or For my stomach, my family, relatives and friends: The
paradox of Museveni’s 2 billion Car amidst a dead health sector, increasing
poverty , youth unemployment and struggling economy
Uganda legislators Clash with Museveni over Bigirimana: Mps insist
he must go while Museveni insists he must stay
Uganda’s Born again first lady is under scrutiny for traveling 8
times to Israel
in one month : Janet Museveni faces questions over OPM cash saga
Museveni’s two new Benzes cost
Shs6b
In Summary
Opulence? Documents show President’s two limousines took one year to
procure, as MP accuses presidency of extravagance akin to the French monarchs.
The Government was “extravagant” in spending Shs6 billion on two armoured
limousines for the President, a chairperson of a parliamentary oversight
committee has said.
Mr Barnabas Tinkasiimire, the chair of the committee on presidential
affairs, told Daily Monitor last week that his committee would “pick interest
in this matter” even as the President’s press secretary, Mr Tamale Mirundi,
leapt to his boss’ defence, noting that criticism of the purchase was steeped
in ignorance.
The MP drew comparisons with the opulence that characterised the reign of
17th Century French King, Louis XVI, before warning President Museveni of the
likelihood of a ‘French revolution’ taking place in Uganda.
“He [Museveni] should address himself to what happened in France,” said the Buyaga County
MP. “The luxury of that
kingdom when its people were in poverty led to its collapse. It will affect
this country. This is consumerism for an individual and I don’t think that’s a
worthwhile investment. The president already has vehicles.”
As official sources pointed at a total cost outlay of Shs6b, well-placed
insiders in the security services suggest that the full figure spent on the
cars could actually have been in the region of Shs10b.
However, officials at the President’s Office declined to comment on reports
suggesting that the government may have forked out up to Shs10b in the process
of procuring the two high-end vehicles.
One of the two limousines was first publicly seen last month at the
Independence Grounds in Kololo during celebrations to mark 50 years of Uganda’s
self-rule.
The custom-built Germany-made Mercedes Benz S500 Pullman Guard, in which Mr
Museveni dazzled at Kololo, took the authorities more than a year to procure in
a delicate top-secret process.
The latest acquisitions, which join a range of plush 4x4 vehicles used by
the President, are understood to have been directly sourced through classified
expenditure from Carat Security Group, the world’s largest commercial armoured
vehicle provider, through its subsidiary Carat Duchatelet.
Carat Duchatelet, known as a premier coach building and armouring operation
with headquarters in Belguim and offices serving the African region in West
Riffa, the Kingdom of Bahrain, is one of only three companies on the
government’s classified list of firms which supply it armoured vehicles.
The same firm is reported to have previously supplied the government with
presidential vehicles. Plans to purchase the two vehicles were hatched as far
back as January 2011, a month shy to the February 28 presidential elections in
which Mr Museveni was seeking re-election.
According to information available to this newspaper, authorities acting on
a reported presidential directive proceeded to request a waiver from the
country’s procurement entity, the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public
Assets Authority (PPDA), for direct procurement of the vehicles.
Daily Monitor has seen a copy of a March 1, 2011 letter from then acting
State House Comptroller, Ms Lucy Nakyobe Mbonye, to former PPDA executive director,
Mr Edgar Agaba, making a case for the waiver.
“State House urgently requires to procure 2 units Saloon Armoured Principal
vehicles for exclusive use by His Excellency the President. The estimated cost
is approximately Shs6b,” wrote Ms Mbonye.
Security sources, however, suggested that the government may have later paid
out as much as Shs10 billion for the two vehicles. The sources, speaking on
condition of anonymity given the sensitive nature of the deal, suggested that
the spike in the cost by Shs4b was a result of the “battering” which the
Ugandan shilling suffered against the American dollar last year when
procurement of the vehicles was being processed. At one point, “the exchange
rate was Shs2,800 for $1.”
Daily Monitor could not independently verify the claim by press time. Last
week, Mr Mirundi said: “The President isn’t buying drugs for his cows or buying
a car for his daughters. He isn’t buying a personal vehicle, it’s a
presidential vehicle and it’s state property,” said Mr Mirundi. “These people
oppose because they are ignorant.”
He said the decision to purchase new vehicles is taken as a security measure
and when the President’s old fleet of cars have rundown. “These vehicles are
expensive because of the services they offer. There is no way our President can
move in a ramshackle car when we are fighting the al-Shabaab, ” Mr Mirundi
said.
In her letter to PPDA, Ms Mbonye said a meeting by the State House Contracts
Committee on January 16, 2011 had “expressed their no objection to the use of
Direct Procurement method as long as a waiver is obtained from PPDA.”
Nine corruption scandals to look
back at
Publish Date: Nov 11, 2012
UGANDA
- The cost of corruption is huge. We look
back at nine graft scandals that have tossed Uganda here and there in the recent
past.
Chogm 2007
This came to public attention last year (2011). Several ministers, including
former Vice-President, Gilbert Bukenya, Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi and former
state minister for works and transport, John Byabagambi, were implicated in the
mismanagement of billions of public funds meant for the 2007 CHOGM summit.
Others implicated were ministers John Nasasira, Mwesigwa Rukutana and Isaac
Musumba. Although Parliament allocated sh270b to the summit, the Auditor
General discovered that more than sh370b was spent.
The figures went up to sh500b after parliamentary accounts committee grilled
those who spent the funds.
The probe, commissioned by President Yoweri Museveni, found out that money was
lost in irregular procurement of the CHOGM cars, road construction and repairs,
and the renovation of
Entebbe
Airport, among other
ventures.
Several permanent secretaries interrogated claimed they had acted on orders
from former Vice-President Gilbert Bukenya, who was the chairman of the Cabinet
sub-committee on CHOGM.
Prof. Bukenya was accused of influence-peddling in the sh19b CHOGM car deal,
but later court acquitted him.
Global Fund 2008
At the time of investigations, $10m (sh25b) was missing, although some sources
put the figure at $37 (sh95.8b).
The money was meant for malaria and tuberculosis drugs programmes. The scandal
sucked in former health minister Jim Muhwezi and his then deputies Mike Mukula
and Alex Kamugisha.
Some of the known culprits include the director of economic affairs in the
President’s Office, Teddy Cheeye and former production manager of Uganda
Television, Fred Kavuma, who are currently on remand in Luzira Prison over the
scam.
Although many of people have since been absolved of wrongdoing by court, Mike
Mukula was told recently that he has a case to answer.
The scandal centered on a new unit within the Health Ministry, known as the
Project Management Unit (PMU), through which the money was siphoned to about
400 private organisations, many of which existed only on paper.
Investigations revealed that PMU paid grossly infl ated salaries to its 15
professionals and 20 support staff, who often doubled their take home pay with
generous and largely undocumented expense allowances.
Since its creation in 2002, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and
Malaria has committed $5.1b in grants to more than 130 countries to fight the
three diseases.
Temangalo 2008
NSSF-Temangalo saga came to light in July 2008, when reports emerged that Prime
Minister Amama Mbabazi, then security minister and Amos Nzeyi had been paid
sh11b by the Fund for 414 acres of land, with each acre going for sh24m.
It was reported that the price was higher than that on the market, resulting
into the Fund losing billions of shillings.
Knight Frank put the price of an acre in the area at sh18m, East African
Consulting Surveyors at sh16m and Associated Consulting Surveyors at sh14m.
NSSF decided to go for what it called an open market price of sh24m. The
Parliamentary probe found that Mbabazi used his clout as security minister to
force NSSF to purchase his land.
In its majority report, the parliamentary committee investigating the matter
concluded that indeed Mbabazi and Ezra Suruma had violated sections of the
Leadership Code.
ID Scandal 2010
In February, 2010, the Government entered a deal with Mühlbauer, a German firm,
to supply national IDs. Muhlbauer High Tech was allegedly contracted without
open bidding as required by law.
The company was to supply and install equipment for production of the identity
cards. The IDs were supposed to be used to identify eligible voters during the
2011 elections.
But by February last year, the company had reportedly produced only 400 cards.
Parliament learnt that the Government borrowed over sh150b to finance the
project, which has never kicked off.
According to the PAC, contracting the firm resulted in a fi nancial loss of
sh19b.
The ministers implicated include former general duties minister, Kiddu
Makubuya, former internal affairs minister, Kirunda Kivejinja and the local
government Permanent Secretary, Steven Kagoda.
Bicycle 2011
Amman Industrial Tool and Equipment Ltd, a locally-registered company, was
contracted by the Ministry of Local Government to supply 70,000 bicycles meant
for LCs, but no single bicycle was delivered.
The company was reportedly paid $1.7 million (about sh4b).
Microfinance and
Specioza Kazibwe 2011
Sh60b went missing from Microfinance Support Centre in a record three months.
Former Vice-President Dr. Specioza Wandira Kazibwe, who was the board
chairperson, was subsequently suspended over allegations of abuse of office and
mismanagement in the office she assumed in 2008.
Others board members who were suspended are MP Tim Lwanga, Mutebi Kityo,
Charles Ogol from the finance ministry and Twino Musinguzi.
President Yoweri Museveni started the institution in 2003, to ensure Ugandans
accessed funds for poverty reduction in their households.
Hassan Basajjabalaba
compensation scandal 2011
Sh169b was ‘erroneously’ issued to city tycoon Hassan Basajjabalaba as
compensation for the loss of business for the city markets last year.
Two ministers, Syda Bbumba of finance and attorney general Khiddu Makubuya,
were axed alongside three members of staff at State House on the matter.
However, the Government exonerated the Bank of Uganda governor, Tumusiime
Mutebile, of any wrongdoing in the compensation.
Pension’s scandal 2012
Sh169b meant to clear outstanding pension claims of 1,018 former East African
Community workers went missing between February and October last year.
The money is said to have been siphoned through Cairo International Bank, with
connivance from top employees of the ministries of public service and finance.
Peter Sajjabi, the East African Community Beneficiaries Association general
secretary, admitted to the Police that he had recommended the 1,018 names, which
he said were passed on to him by the Ministry of Public Service, to Cairo
International Bank for account opening.
Prime Minister’s
Office 2012
The principal accountant in the Prime Minister’s Office, Geoffrey Kazinda, was
recently remanded to Luzira Prison in connection with the disappearance of
sh5b.
The money, meant for the Peace Recovery and Development Plan for
Northern Uganda, was reportedly transferred to the Crisis
Management and Recovery account, from where it was siphoned.
Kazinda has been charged before the
Anti-Corruption
Court with abuse of office, causing fi nancial
loss, embezzlement, false accounting and forgery.
Following the development, three donor countries cut aid. The British
government,
Denmark and Ireland have
frozen development aid to the Offi ce of the Prime Minister.
