MPs summon Musisi over queries on KCCA Shs19b
To be summoned. Former KCCA executive director Jennifer Musisi. MPs want her to explain how KCCA spent Shs19b in litigation during her reign. PHOTO BY ABUBAKER LUBOWA.
What you need to know:
- Although Mr Kitaka said they evicted the said residents on the orders of Uganda Railways Corporation, he could not explain why it was KCCA that paid the legal costs arising from the court case filed by the residents.
Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase) yesterday resolved to summon former Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) executive director Jennifer Musisi to explain audit queries and accountability issues on Shs19b that KCCA spent on court cases during her tenure.
The officials from KCCA failed to explain how Shs19b was spent on litigation in courts between 2016 and 2018.
Officials led by the acting executive director, Mr Andrew Kitaka, appeared before Cosase to answer financial queries raised by the Auditor General in his report for 2016/2017.
KCCA lost more than 30 cases in court between 2016 and 2018 and have since paid more than Shs19b in legal costs and compensations to the complainants in the cases.
No explanation
Mr Caleb Mugisha, the KCCA acting legal director, yesterday failed to give satisfactory explanation to the committee on how the Authority incurred such huge legal costs.
Mr Mugisha told the committee that KCCA paid more than Shs800m to a media company in legal costs after Ms Musisi refused to pay them for advertisements which had been published.
He said Ms Musisi had argued that her office had not been notified about the adverts and the procurement process had been flouted. However, KCCA lost the case.
The Cosase chairperson, Mr Mubarak Munyagwa, said the legal costs could have been avoided had KCCA paid the media house for the adverts instead of resorting to court.
“Because of the Authority’s arrogance and don’t-care attitude, the country has lost a lot of money in litigation yet they would have been avoided,” Mr Munyagwa observed.
“Musisi will respond to all those queries when she appears,” he added.
The committee also discovered that KCCA incurred legal costs amounting to Shs222m after evicting some residents in Ndeeba, Lubaga Division, without following legal procedures.
Although Mr Kitaka said they evicted the said residents on the orders of Uganda Railways Corporation, he could not explain why it was KCCA that paid the legal costs arising from the court case filed by the residents.
The KCCA officials did not have documents or evidence to show that KCCA had paid the complainants.
“You knew very well that you were appearing before this committee, which is evidence-based, but you did not show up with the documents to prove whom the money was paid to and when. We want all the documents for all that money you spent,” MP Paul Mwiru told Mr Kitaka.
Mr Kitaka asked for one week to return with all the evidence and documents on all the money KCCA spent on the queried issues.
Asked when Ms Musisi would be summoned, Mr Mwiru said the committee would communicate when she would be required to appear.
Ms Musisi resigned from her position in December last year.
Cases KCCA lost 2016/2018
Mulla Peter (Shs351m)
Omega Consultant Ltd (Shs2m)
Nafuna Annet Sundya (Shs271m)
Sumadhura Technologies (Shs34.7m)
Equator Touring Services (Shs200m)
Murangira Joseph (Shs147.2m)
Ddamulira Musa & Others (Shs773.7m)
RR & Family Transporters (Shs141.4m)
Arnold Brookyln Vs KCCA (Shs689m)
Engineers Investments (Shs298m)
Otada Construction Co (Shs592.3m)
Kansanga Garbage Collection (Shs148.6m)
Monitor Publications Ltd (Shs872.6m)
Ndeeba Women’s Group (Shs222.8m)
Safinet (U) (Shs1.5b)
Omega Constructions (Shs5.2b)
Faces 2005 Ltd (Shs3b)
Lukyamuzi Investments (Shs400m)
Garnishes (Shs5b)
