By Mulengera Reporters
The Auditor General has flagged the Electoral Commission, the Directorate of Ethics and Integrity, and 14 other government agencies for gross mismanagement of public funds, leading to their receipt of qualified audit opinions in 2024.
This revelation was made by James Bantu, Acting Assistant Auditor General – Audit, during a meeting with Parliament’s Accountability Committees on January 31, 2025. The report comes at a time when top officials at the Electoral Commission are under suspension and investigation for undisclosed crimes.
Agencies Implicated
Bantu listed the affected local governments as Ntoroko, Kalungu, Mubende, Manafwa, Kibaale, Busia, Butaleja, Ngora, Kapchorwa, and Moroto. Among ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), he highlighted the Electoral Commission, the Directorate of Ethics and Integrity, the Uganda Road Fund, and the Presidential Initiative on Bananas.
The Auditor General, Edward Akol, revealed that the Electoral Commission transferred UGX 4.32 billion to the districts of Wakiso, Kampala, Mukono, and Mpigi for activities meant to be handled by its headquarters, but the funds remain unaccounted for.
Additionally, the Commission has accumulated domestic arrears of UGX 10.49 billion, a 12% reduction from UGX 11.97 billion, but still a significant amount.
MPs Question Auditor General’s Oversight
During the meeting, Kasilo County MP Elijah Okupa pressed the Auditor General to disclose agencies that have repeatedly received qualified audit opinions. He asked, “Have you encountered any entities with adverse or disclaimer opinions? If so, which ones, and what should be done about them?”
Tororo District Woman Representative Sarah Opendi raised concerns about the auditors’ independence, questioning why some agencies with serious financial discrepancies still receive unqualified reports. “We’ve reviewed reports where agencies that should have had qualified opinions were given unqualified ones. How do you rule out corruption in your office? How can we be sure these reports aren’t influenced by conversations with accounting officers?” she asked.
Okupa echoed these concerns, questioning the credibility of some reports. “Sometimes, your reports give an unqualified opinion, yet later, whistleblowers expose financial mismanagement. When that happens, the public asks: What did the Auditor General do? What did Parliament do?”
Value-for-Money Audits
Opendi further challenged the Auditor General on why no value-for-money audit was conducted on Parliament and the Judiciary, despite public grievances over corruption and abuse of office in the Legislature throughout 2024.
“You listed 10 sectors where you conducted value-for-money audits in 2024, but Parliament and the Judiciary were left out. Don’t you think it’s time to audit Parliament, especially as we prepare to create new constituencies? Maybe your report could guide the government on whether we really need 520 MPs. This is your constitutional mandate—you shouldn’t shy away from it,” she asserted.
She also questioned whether the Auditor General avoided auditing Parliament due to pressure. “The Constitution mandates you to conduct value-for-money audits across all government agencies. Why did you leave us out? Are you hesitant because we are your bosses?”
Her concerns follow heightened public scrutiny of Parliament’s top management in 2024 over allegations of corruption, bribery, and nepotism in job allocations and expenditures. The controversy culminated in a petition by Lwemiyaga County MP Theodore Ssekikubo and others, demanding the removal of four Parliamentary Commissioners. Public frustration also led to youth protests, dubbed the “March to Parliament Protest,” calling for Speaker Anita Among’s resignation.
Auditor General Promises Deeper Review
In response, Auditor General Akol acknowledged gaps in their audit coverage and promised to address them in future reviews.
“We have taken note of the key areas of concern raised today. We also see this exercise as a risk assessment process. Indeed, there are sectors we may not have examined critically, and we will consider them in our subsequent audits,” Akol assured MPs-Parliament Watch. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
