Charity begins at home. Thats why Uganda is in danger.
J. Ssenyange
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MPs probe Museveni schools in Tanzania
Yasiin Mugerwa
PARLIAMENT
A PARLIAMENTARY committee has instituted a probe into circumstances
under which President Yoweri Museveni spent Shs1.6 billion of tax-payers
money to construct two schools in Tanzania.
The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee yesterday instructed
its legal department to investigate the conditions under which the President
committed public funds amounting to US$932,823.2 to build two secondary
schools in Tanzania.
The two schools include Nyamiyaga, Murongo located in Karagwe area
and Nyarigamba, Muhutwe situated in Muleba District bordering Bokoba area.
According to correspondences Daily Monitor has seen, the
construction of the two schools began some time in 2005 after Multiplex Ltd,
a Ugandan private company allegedly won the contract.
The construction comes at a time when there is acute shortage of
classrooms for Universal Primary Education and Universal Secondary Education
in the country.
Concern was raised after the committee learnt that the money
(Shs1.6 billion) Mr Museveni used for the construction was charged on the
donation account of the StateHouse budget without authority. The committee
also heard that the two schools were a donation by Mr Museveni to the
Tanzanians for their historical contribution to the 1979 liberation struggle
that ousted the former President, late Idd Amin Dada from power.
"This is unacceptable as Parliament we cannot appropriate money for
Tanzanians yet many Ugandans are still grappling with illiteracy. This money
would have gone to Luweero District but not Tanzania," said Nandala Mafabi
(Budadiri West) the committee chairperson.
"This was a Ugandan struggle not for Tanzanians. If the president
wished to donate he would have used his personal savings not public
resources. To bring this (donation) to our budget was wrong."
Richard Muhinda, the Statehouse Comptroller said the money was part
of President Museveni's donation item and is not limited to any country.
"The President is the fountain of honour and is free to donate to any person
that deserves assistance in whatever locality," said Mr Muhinda.
"It had been an outstanding donation to the people of Tanzania and
we had to squeeze our own budget (StateHouse) to fulfill this pledge."
But the committee has established that even the circumstances under
which Multiplex Ltd was awarded a $1 million contract to construct the two
schools had loopholes.
It is alleged that the tendering process was not clear since Mr
Muhinda admitted that there was no advertising made inviting other bidders
as the construction of both schools was an emergency.
Mr Muhinda insists that there was no foul play because StateHouse
used restrictive bidding involving Multiplex Ltd, Roko Construction Company
Ltd, Transaction International and Complliant Engineers & Trade Ltd.
"We offered the tender to Multiplex because they had a fair deal.
Their rates were lower compared to others. I am proud to have been part of
this project because it was transparent and we followed the law," Mr Muhinda
said.
But the committee wondered whether it would be possible for
Tanzanian authorities to allow Ugandan Parliament to conduct a value-for
money audit into the project.
Daily Monitor has learnt that State House contract with Multiplex
was not signed by any Multiplex official but instead with the Tanzanian
government.
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