UNHCR denies recalling boss over refugee scam

The United Nations refugee agency yesterday denied allegations that its country representative has been recalled or that he is under any investigation, as a result of the ongoing refugee scandal.

On Sunday, Relief and Disaster Preparedness minister Hillary Onek gave weight to earlier reports that Mr Bornwell Kantande, the UNHCR country representative to Uganda had been replaced with Mr Joel Boutrue, who was due to arrive in the country.

“Mr Bornwell Kantande continues to be the UNHCR representative in Uganda. As we speak, he is on mission in Kyaka [refugee settlement] with development donors including the World Bank and several of our traditional donors looking at implementing the new comprehensive refugee response framework in an emergency situation,” Ms Teresa Ongaro, UNHCR senior regional spokesperson said in response to a question raised by a journalist during a media briefing at the organisation’s headquarters in Kampala, yesterday.

In a prepared statement earlier, Ms Ongaro stressed Mr Kantande’s innocence:
“We wish to underscore categorically that there is no suggestion whatsoever that the UNHCR representative in Uganda, Mr Bornwell Kantande, has engaged in any fraud or corruption, and that any reassignment has nothing to do with any allegation of wrongdoing,” she said.

She explained that Mr Kantande has worked in Uganda for more than two years and that any reassignment would take place on exactly the same considerations and in keeping with responsibilities which match his experience throughout his UNHCR career.

In response to an earlier inquiry, UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch told Daily Monitor that Mr Kantande’s tour of duty was coming to an end.

“The current UNHCR representative in Uganda is completing his assignment. Given the scope of multiple refugee crises affecting Uganda, UNHCR announced at the beginning of the year its intention to deploy staff at more senior levels to Kampala. Uganda is one of the most crucial refugee operations in the world,” he said.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also said it is implementing measures to allay fears of donors who have threatened to withdraw support as a response to allegations of abuse of funds for refugees by government officials in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and their counterparts in the UN system employed to support refugees.

Pressure
Meanwhile, UNHCR and government have until September to verify the refugees in the country or donors follow through with the threat to withdraw funding.

In strongly worded statements, foreign envoys who included US Ambassador Deborah Malac, European Union Ambassador to Uganda, Attilio Pacifici among others tasked government to expedite investigations into the refugee scam. The investigations, Daily Monitor understands, are threefold with UNHCR, government and the donors all carrying out independent investigations.

“In these matters we communicate regularly with the donors who are partners in our work with the government of Uganda. They too are concerned about the allegations. What they need are assurances and one way of giving those assurances is carrying out this verification. Out of that process we will produce the reassurances needed for the funding not to be interrupted,” Ms Ongaro said.

UNHCR says it is working with government to review, strengthen procedures and monitor across all refugee operations to curtail opportunities for corruption and exploitation of refugees living in Uganda and reinforce measures to ensure that vulnerable refugees, particularly women and girls, are well protected.

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