Shs1b recovered from corrupt officials in Kasese

What you need to know:

  • Mr Senku Kimuli, the Kasese deputy Chief Administrative Officer, acknowledged that Kasese has many issues of corruption, saying RAC had assisted them to identify and handle them one by one.

More than Shs1 billion has been recovered from corruption cases in Kasese District by Rwenzori Anti-Corruption Coalition (RAC), a non-governmental organisation working in the Rwenzori Sub-region
The money was recovered from 377 corruption cases reported in the district since the year began.

The RAC executive director, Ms Angella Byangwa, revealed that the organisation registered 2,013 corruption cases in Rwenzori sub-region, of which 377 were from Kasese alone.
“I am happy that over Shs1 billion has been recovered from corrupt officials this year in Kasese and Shs700 million in Ntoroko,” Ms Byangwa told Daily Monitor yesterday.

She noted that corruption issues in local governments emanate from issuing many contracts to one contractor who does not have the capacity to handle the work, saying government needs to simplify the bill of quantities to local councils and monitors such that they understand what they mean in simple terms.
The bill of quantities is a document prepared by the cost consultant (often a quantity surveyor) that provides project specific measured quantities of the items of work identified by the drawings and specifications in the tender documentation.

Language barrier
“We still have a challenge as local monitors when it comes to contracts because the language used is not understood by many, hence difficult to know what was supposed to be done under the bill of quantities,” she observed.
She mentioned some of the works that had stalled due to corruption at Nyakimasa and Isango health centre IIIs, adding that the contract for the projects ended last year yet the works are incomplete to date.

“We have noted that there has been irregular promotion of staff in Kasese and a case in point is Kasese Municipality deputy town clerk, who was promoted from senior to deputy contrary to Civil Service Standing Orders,” she said.

RAC applauded
Mr Senku Kimuli, the Kasese deputy Chief Administrative Officer, acknowledged that Kasese has many issues of corruption, saying RAC had assisted them to identify and handle them one by one.
“It is true we had some issues but when RAC put them to our attention, we have been able to recover some funds from the implicated officials, while others were taken to police for further management of their cases,” Mr Ssenku said.

However, the district chairperson, Mr Geoffrey Bigogo Sibendire, expressed dissatisfaction with police, saying they take too long with investigations, something he said frustrates their efforts in fighting the vice.