The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Nakasongola, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Nakasongola District Council has passed a resolution banning the Security Committee from recommending applicants for the award of tenders to collect dues from the cattle markets.
The District Security Committee recently resolved to screen applicants before they are selected by the Procurement Officer for tenders to collect revenue from cattle markets. Subsequently, the District Internal Officer was appointed to work with the Procurement officer in screening and recommending suitable candidates to be considered for the tenders.
However, Nakitoma Sub County Councilor Samuel Butagasa Mwesezeki tabled a complaint during the District Council sitting on Thursday, challenging the move and questioning where the security committee derives its power to meddle in procurement processes.
Butagasa explained that through the DISO’s recommendations, good bidders have been eliminated, in a manner that has also caused financial losses to the district. Butagasa cited a case where the highest bidder of 16 million Shillings was eliminated and the procurement officer considered the lowest bidder of 10 million Shillings to collect taxes in the Nakitoma cattle market for the entire financial yet that amount could be collected within a single day.
Nakasongola District Speaker Sande Rogers Bwanga said the role of the District Security Commitee is to oversee and advise the National Security Council on security matters of the district but not to turn into an organ of procurement. He, however, tasked the Procurement officer Samuel Nuwagasha to explain the law under which the DISO is allowed to screen and recommend applicants for the tenders.
Nuwagasha told the council that DISO’s role is to advise in case there are security concerns about the applicant and he was at liberty to consider his views on the award of the tenders. Similarly, Nakasongola District Chairperson Samuel Kigula defended the involvement of the DISO saying that some bidders were conniving with cattle thieves, creating a need for security screening.
But the Councillors led by Charles Daniel Ssenyimba rejected the defense saying the move couldn’t eliminate cattle theft. They unanimously passed a resolution banning the involvement of the DISO in procurement and ordered the technical staff to work within the legal framework.
Bwanga said that they will discuss another motion in the next council sitting to compel the Procurement officer to face disciplinary action for implementing an unlawful order that has caused financial loss to the district. He added that they also want to stop the District Service Commission from meddling in the administrative work of the district which is outside their mandate.
Nakasongola District Resident District Commissioner Saleh Kamba didn’t attend the council sitting.
******
URN
