Fixon Akonya appointed Internal Auditor General

Appointed. Dr Fixon Akonya Akonye, new Internal Auditor General

What you need to know:

  • Ms Catherine Birakwate Musingwire, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Public Service, said: “It is no longer news because the appointment was made long ago, the letter was sent to us and we forwarded it to the Ministry of Finance.”
  • Early this week, Mr Matia Kasaija the Finance minister, under whose docket internal auditors fall, said the biggest challenge they face is getting strong spirited people who can work without being bribed.

The Public Service Commission has said President Museveni has appointed Dr Fixon Akonya Akonye as the new Internal Auditor General.
Dr Akonye has held the same office in acting capacity for more than 10 years.

Justice Ralph Ochan, the chairperson of the Public Service Commission, on Wednesday said President Museveni signed the instrument appointing Dr Akonye and they have forwarded the document to the Ministry of Public Service.

“We advertised the job, he applied, we interviewed him and he passed the interviews. We sent his name to the President to sign the instrument appointing him, the President endorsed it and sent it back to us and we have submitted it to the Ministry of Public Service to appoint him,” Justice Ochan said.

The office of the internal auditor formerly known as examiners of accounts, was established by the 2003 Public Finance Management Act. Among the core functions, the Internal Auditor General, supervises all internal auditors in government institutions to ensure all government resources generated and allocated to such institutions are utilised according to plans stipulated by governing councils and boards of such institutions.

During a recent funeral service for an internal auditor formerly working with Butabika hospital at St Luke’s Church in Ntinda, Kampala, Dr Akonye, said government had failed to recruit internal auditors despite their critical role in ensuring good corporate governance in public institutions.

He said they needed at least a minimum of 800 internal auditors in all government institutions. Dr Akonye also noted that his office had less than 200, including him.
Dr Akonye cited regional referral hospitals as examples of government institutions where government sends resources which cannot be accounted for on a daily basis due to absence of resident internal auditors.

Ms Catherine Birakwate Musingwire, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Public Service, said: “It is no longer news because the appointment was made long ago, the letter was sent to us and we forwarded it to the Ministry of Finance.”

Early this week, Mr Matia Kasaija the Finance minister, under whose docket internal auditors fall, said the biggest challenge they face is getting strong spirited people who can work without being bribed.

“We have an internal auditor general who is acting and I need to find out why he has not been appointed. The biggest challenge we face is getting strong spirited people, who have love for this country and can work without being bribed,” he said.