COSASE to UNRA: Why pay contractors before land owners?

Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) Executive Director Allen Kagina and her team has failed to explain why shs 60.5bn meant for land acquisition and compensation was instead paid to Chinese contractors. 

UNRA also couldn’t account for another shs 288bn in domestic arrears to Cosase rising even more concern to the committee. 

The revelations were made on day 3 of UNRA's appearance before the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE). 

Yet again UNRA ED Allen Kagina could not provide the committee satisfactory explanations for the authority's expenditures whose anomalies reported in the auditor general report 2016/2017. 

The 2016/2017 auditor general report indicated a 60.5 bn mischarge of expenditure with 98% diverted from development to pay contractors.

It was unearthed that 59.1bn shillings intended for land acquisition and compensation of project affected persons was instead paid to Chinese contractors. 

Also in the auditor general reports an irregular shs 288bn was recorded incurred as domestic arrears outside the approved estimates appropriated by parliament but UNRA could not explain the said moneys. 

This prompted the committee to compare with previous financial years only to discover an increase in domestic arrears over the period of 3 years. 

Frustrated over the lack of accountability from UNRA, the committee voted to release the team to prepare and return this Friday after shortly turning to a private meeting with the legislators  to discuss away forward. 

Cosase Committee Member Gideon Onyango the committee is losing its patience with UNRA promising to exert more pressure if they do not provide evidence.

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Onyango says UNRA Prioritizing to clear the Chinese Contractors over Land owners is taking Ugandans for granted.