Minister for the Presidency Milly Babirye has threatened punitive action against Residential District/ City Commissioners (RDCs/RCCs) implicated in the misappropriation of the funds meant to facilitate COVID-19 task forces in their respective districts.
The minister’s warning resulted from concerns raised by radio callers during her recent visit to a local radio station in Kampala, along with many others.
She reiterated her unshakable determination to fight corruption and warned that no excuses will be entertained from official who fall short in terms of accountability. She also noted that all RDCs/ RCCs will have to account for the money disbursed and those that fall short will have to answer.
Babalanda also cautioned against falsified accountabilities, noting that her office is prepared to carry out extensive audits of the cash as part of her intensive efforts against graft.
Following the declaration of the second lockdown by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in June, the Office of the President disbursed funds to the RDCs as Chairpersons of the respective District COVID-19 Task Forces.
“As a result of HE the President’s directives to combat COVID19, funds have been released to support emergency Response Activities,” Reads the July 14 notice addressed to the RDCs/ RCCs and signed by Hajji Yunusu Kakande, the Secretary Office of the President.
“The funds under the COVID-19 emergency response will cater for the following activities: Fuel, Protective gears, Office imprest, Safari day allowances, and fuel for the surveillance team,” Continued Kakande’s notice.
As per the instructions in the notice, Shs 3,600,000 was provided for fuel for 30 days, 500,000 for office operations,, 390,000 for lunch allowances while 1,290,000 was to cater for protective gears such as gloves, masks, disinfectants for RDCs, D/RDCs, DISOs and DDISOs.
Early this month, the office of the president issued out its contacts to the public as a way of facilitating the free flow of information, a move that is believed to have greatly impacted on the direct interactions between the Presidency and the public.
A toll free line, 0800320320 was provided as a chain link between the office of the president and the public and a conduit in the fight against graft and poor service delivery.
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