The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday turned away officials from Makerere University Business School (MUBs) for presenting inconsistent Statements of Accounts.
MUBS Principal Wasswa Balunywa had led a team of University officials before the committee chaired by Budadiri West MP Nathan Nandala Mafabi to respond to queries raised in the Auditor General’s report for the financial year 2017/2018.
However, the committee could not proceed following an analysis of the University budget performance. Balunywa and the University Bursar, Michael Ruhigwa could not explain why they had received more money than they had budgeted for from the treasury as highlighted in their Statement of Accounts.
Out of the total appropriated budget of 74.8 billion Shillings, the institution received 87.7 billion well over the budget approved by Parliament. But Balunywa had no response as to the fate of the unspent and retained balance of 3.4 billion.
The MUBS officials were as well unable to explain an expenditure of 6.4 billion Shillings on Domestic Arrears despite the statement indicating that no money had been appropriated for the year in question.
These discrepancies and inconsistencies caused MPs to wonder how such a top business school could be so careless with its accounts.
Isingiro South MP Alex Byarugaba said that the inconsistencies display incompetence. He said that these could be the reasons why the institution was plagued by staff strikes and demonstrations.
Mafabi gave the University officials one week to get their accounts in order and return to the committee.
Balunywa admitted that the situation was indeed embarrassing and promised to rectify the statements.
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incredible