IGG, civil society agree to monitor refugee projects
Inspector General of Government Beti Kamya. PHOTO/COURTESY
What you need to know:
- This MoU is indeed a strategy of the IGG office to foster collaborative approaches with both public and private sector actors.
Government, through the office of the Inspector General of the Government (IGG), has partnered with selected civil society organisations (CSOs) to enhance transparency and accountability in refugee-hosting districts across the country.
Speaking to the media after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with CSOs in Kampala yesterday, the deputy IGG, Ms Patricia Achan Okiria, said after several investigations, they have identified gaps in the implementation of the Development Response to Displacement Impact Project (DRDIP) in the 15 refugee-hosting districts, which was funded by the World Bank at Shs718.7b.
“So far, we have partnered to work with nine CSOs as monitoring agencies to identify gaps in the project’s implementation through monitoring and evaluating the different social economic projects in their respective areas,” she said.
Ms Okiria added that DRDIP aims at improving social service delivery in districts hosting refugees, which are currently among the least developed in Uganda.
“As IGG, our work is to ensure there is value for money, and we shall monitor as we have been doing and ensure that this money is put to proper use and that there is timely service delivery to the people who are supposed to benefit from it,” Ms Okiria said.
She added they her office is mandated to promote good governance, raise public awareness, promote and foster strict adherence to rule of law, conduct investigations and take measures for the detection and prevention of corruption in public office.
“This MoU is indeed a strategy of the IGG office to foster collaborative approaches with both public and private sector actors, including CSOs,” she said.
Ms Okiria urged all stakeholders to join the crusade against corruption.
“Even in the recently launched “life style audit”, there is a lot CSOs can do to fight against corruption,” she said.
Mr James Ogwang, the accounting officer of Karambi Action for Life Improvement, a non-government organisation based in Kamwenge District said, the funds have helped them to follow up the implementation of government projects in several refugee-hosting communities.
“We have sensitised the community in refugee camps on how they can follow up government projects so that the beneficiaries are helped to ensure proper accountability from their leaders,” he said.
Mr Ogwang added that they are working with communities from Lwamwanja Refugee Camp to follow up leaders who are in-charge of implementing government projects.
