KCCA loses UGX 1Bn in overpayments, unjustified expenditures

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA made overpayments and other unjustified expenditures worth one billion Shillings in the year ending June 2021.

According to the Auditor General’s report, KCCA spent more than 1.3 billion Shillings in overpayments and other irregular payments on different construction projects mostly roads funded under the Kampala Institutional Infrastructure Development Project II (KIIDP II). KCCA also spent 80.85 million Shillings for relocation of NITA utilities which were not verified, overpaid 215.9 million Shillings while another 503.7 million Shillings remains unaccounted for.

The listed expenditures happened during the construction of Kulambiro Ring road, Spur-Najjera road, Nakawa-Ntinda road and John Babiiha Avenue. KCCA further made payments of over 46 million Shillings and 248.2 million Shillings during the construction of Kabuusu–Bunamwaya–Lweza road.

The authority further made excess payments of over 14 million Shillings and over 16 million Shillings during the construction of Ntinda II road. Also during the construction of phase one of Kitintale market, over 119.7 million Shillings was spent on materials (quantities of steel reinforcement) in excess of those in the bar bending schedule. All road construction works except for Ntinda II road and Spur-Najjera road are under KIIDP II.

“I advised the Accounting Officer to ensure that the amounts certified and paid in excess of the quantities executed, unaccounted for payments and irregular/unjustified payments are recovered from the contractors prior to concluding the contracts,” the Auditor General says.

The spokesperson of the Kampala Institutional Infrastructure Development Project II Agnes Biribonwa said that before they spent any money, the World Bank would verify the need and approve the expenditure. She added that interruptions that caused delays in the project also caused extra costs to the project.

John Mary Ssebuwufu, the City Executive Secretary for Finance and Administration says they are yet to get an explanation from the technical staff at KCCA on how the payments were made. He adds that they are equally waiting for the report for discussion by the City Executive Committee.

Faridah Nakabugo, the Chairperson of the KCCA Engineering Committee says the committee shall soon convene to discuss the matter and ensure that there is accountability from the technical staff. Nakabugo says they have been asking for an audit report from the Public Accounts Committee of KCCA but are yet to receive it.

“We asked for the report to get accountability of expenditures on roads, drainage channels and other construction projects undertaken by KCCA. But now that the Auditor-Generals report is highlighting some of the issues, we shall engage the technical staff to get an explanation of the quoted expenditures,” Nakabugo says.

Makindye East councillor and Chairperson of the Gender Community, Services and Production Commitee Mosh Afrikan Ssendi, says the report exposes the abuse of office and corruption at KCCA which the council has always sought to check by demanding for accountability.

Ssendi says political leaders at KCCA asked for accountability into the renovation of the Old taxi park to ascertain the expenditure of the over 10.9 billion Shillings but were ignored. He says it’s unfortunate that taxpayers’ money is being wasted by those entrusted to deliver services to the public.

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