The Chairperson of Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE), Muwada Nkunyingi, has urged Parliamentary leadership, led by Speaker Oboth Oboth, to refrain from interfering with the committee’s work, particularly its scrutiny of Auditor General’s reports.
COSASE is mandated to examine government entities’ income, expenditure, and operations, and to ensure accountability, value for money, and proper financial management in public corporations and state enterprises.
Muwada said the committee must be allowed to execute its oversight role independently, without external influence that could compromise its findings and recommendations.
“I was a committee member of COSASE and over and over again we had invisible hands during the scrutiny of the Auditor General’s report. Our oversight work, including investigations into Nakivubo Channel and reports on entities such as Uganda Airlines, was frustrated by interference,” Muwada said.
He added that in previous Parliament sessions, some committee reports and recommendations were allegedly weakened or watered down, citing concerns over interference during the tenure of former Speaker Annet Anita Among.
Muwada further issued a strong warning to officials implicated in corruption and mismanagement of public resources, saying their actions would be thoroughly investigated under his leadership.
“We are going to investigate every corrupt official in all government entities and agencies. I advise those embezzling funds to report themselves to security agencies because under my leadership we will not spare anyone, and our recommendations will be respected by Parliament,” he said.
His remarks come amid continued public concern over corruption and accountability in government institutions.