IGG to investigate how KCCA spent Shs 4bn Covid-19 money 

The office of the Inspector General of Government (IGG) has kicked off investigations into Shs 4 billion that was earmarked for Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to initiate programmes and policies against Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.

On October 31, 2022, James Mubiru, the Lord Councilor, Rubaga North III wrote to IGG Beti Kamya Turwomwe to conduct investigation into Shs 4 billion funds that were allocated to KCCA to fight Covid-19 disease under the second wave.

Mubiru claimed that under his role of oversight and monitoring the delivery of services within the city, it came to his notice that the funds that were allocated to fight Covid-19 were misappropriated.

Kamya acknowledged the receipt of the request to investigate the matter, adding that they will do their best.

“This is to acknowledge receipt of your written complaint and to inform you that this office has commenced investigations into the matter. We shall inform you of our findings and decisions as soon as possible. Thank you for your good citizenship and vigilance,” said Kamya in reply to Mubiru’s request.

Speaking to the Nile Post, Mubiru said he was glad that IGG is taking serious action, saying that taxpayers money matters a lot.

“Upon my appointment by my fellow LC5 members to the position of treasury chairman, I started off investigating how funds are used and this was my starting point. I am glad that the Office of IGG has started the investigations and we are = waiting for the outcome of the report,” he said.

KCCA requested this money to implement a Covid-19 response plan in the greater Kampala metropolitan area. The response plan aimed at scaling up Covid-19 vaccine uptake, compliance to standard operating procedures and a surveillance mechanism to prevent any upsurge in Covid-19 cases.

But Mubiru claimed that the funds were allocated to different things, adding that some items were purchased recently with unclear cost figures, something which he said needs thorough investigation.

“I requested the IGG to carry out investigations on the three unpurchased ambulances and mobile laboratory/ testing vehicles, authority task force and management funds how they were spent, and Shs 2.2 billion that was based on conditional parameters,” he noted.

He said this matter should be followed up for proper accountability and value for taxpayers' money.

With the escalation of the spread of the Covid-19 disease under the second wave in 2021, Parliament passed Shs 600 billion to fight the disease and the funds were approved to several ministries, departments and agencies and local government.

The National Task Force was guided on the specific parameters that had been used to arrive at the specific allocations. KCCA was missing from the list.

The accounting officer immediately engaged the relevant city leaders to find out why KCCA was missing and was guided that this was an omission and KCCA should immediately use the same guideline set to submit a supplementary budget.

In summary the council approved Shs 4 billion supplementary and was allocated to KCCA to fight Covid-19 in Kampala in 2021.