Kampala Capital City Authority officials, led by Eng. Andrew Kitaka were on Thursday left with egg on face after they were ordered out of Parliament for failing to present required documents.
KCCA boss Kitaka together with other officials had appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase) to respond to queries about financial losses incurred during roads construction in the city.
The anomalies were pointed out in the Auditor General’s reports for the financial year 2015/16 and financial year 2016/17 which indicated double payments in the procurement of road equipment, shoddy works on some roads that caused preventable expenditures.
The report states “The prices are built up from quantities that cannot be practically executed on some of the road payments were made on percentage completion of the lump sum items without any breakdowns and a total of Shs4.4b was paid in lump sum prices “arising out of impractical/unjustifiable quantities.”
Cosase then summoned KCCA officials to appear before them to explain how the huge loss of money occurred.
But legislators on the committee, headed by Kawempe East representative Mubarak Munyagwa alleged that KCCA boss Kitaka together with his officials presented documents that didn’t correspond with the subject matters that had to be discussed.
“We very know that we invited you in this engagement but I would be of the view that you come back next time when you have well-arranged documents that are understandable,” Cosase vice chairperson Ibrahim Kasozi said.
Munyagwa also blamed the KCCA officials for being unserious.
“Mr Kitaaka it’s you who requested for this meeting. We communicated to you, and you wrote to us requesting for Wednesday and Thursday but again you came with disorganized documents and a letter requesting for a reschedule because you have other developments better than this engagement, the best thing is to discharge you,” said Munyagwa.
Medard Segona also cautioned Kitaka never again to undermine any Parliamentary committee in case he is summoned.
In his defence, before marching out Kitaka said it was not an intention for KCCA officials to waste the committee’s time promised to come back next time with well-elaborated documents.
“We didn’t consider the business of this committee less important than what we are doing. I would also want to apologize to the committee, it wasn’t our intention to waste your time,” said Kitaka.
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