Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Public Accountability Committee-PAC of parliament has summoned the Auditor General, Accountant General and Inspector General of Police-IGP to appear on March 23rd, 2020 in relation to the ongoing investigations into the procurement of medical uniforms by the National Medical Society-NMS.
The health worker’s uniforms were procured and distributed by the National Medical Stores (NMS) in the 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19 Financial Years. During the committee sitting on August 23rd, 2019, the Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, Dr. Diana Atwiine informed PAC that the Ministry made a request to NMS to procure health worker’s uniforms and medical stationery.
NMS contracted Nytil Company Limited to supply the uniforms. The Internal Auditor of the Health Ministry, Annet Musiime revealed that they didn’t sign a Memorandum of Understanding-MoU with NMS for the procurement. She also said there was no deposit account and accountability for the money, which indicated that the Accountant General inappropriately issued Shillings 13.35BN for the supply of uniforms.
The Committee discovered that NMS illegally distributed the uniforms without authorisation from the Health Ministry, lacked a procurement and distribution plan and a certificate of completion of work and thus held the NMS Managing Director, Moses Kamabare liable for Shillings 13.2BN.
The Committee Chair, Nathan Nandala Mafabi presented a failed investigation report of December 2019 carried out by Assistant Inspector of Police, Michael Oroch and Sergeant, Nathan Gumisiriza he sent to the field to investigate the distribution of the uniforms.
Mafabi also accused the Auditor General for failing the committee investigations and thus summoned him, the Accountant General and IGP to appear on Monday to explain themselves.
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