Once upon a time, the former Energy minister Syda Bbumba shocked the country when she admitted before the parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities, and State Enterprise that she signed off a $157m tax waiver to an oil company, Tullow Oil, before perusing the agreement. Ms Bbumba, who served as the Energy Minister between 2006 and 2008 told the committee she didn’t have expert knowledge on the Production Sharing Agreements to think otherwise. Hence, she relied on her technical staff in the ministry to tie all loose ends. Exactly four years later, senior government officials have been appearing before the same committee and admitting to sloppiness in how the 10.6 billion shillings were appropriated to the Uganda Land Commission to pay six claimants. The officials also claim they relied on their technical staff to tie all loose ends.