The Committee on Public Accounts (Local Government) has in its report recommended that central government halts the appointment of six Chief Finance Officers (CAOs) over misappropriation as well as failure to account for funds dispersed to their respective districts in different financial years.
The CAOs lined up for the punishment are;
Aloysius Aloka, chief Administrative Officer, Nakapiripirit
The Committee found Aloka not suitable for appointment in accordance with Section ll (g) of the Public Finance Management Act. He failed to provide accountability for funds as reported in the Auditor General’s Report. In Financial Year 2Ol4/2Oi5, he mismanaged funds for the rehabilitation of Namalu-Lorenga Road and was required by parliament to pay back.
In 2015/16, Aloka failed to prioritise the recovery of Shs34.01 million which he paid out to various employees without the necessary verification. Parliament required him to make good the loss. ln 2016/17, he authorized expenditure in excess of warrants to the tune of Shs4.03 billion as per the appropriation statement and failed to account for funds totaling Shs26.13 million.
Larwor Jimmy Walmoe, Chief Administrative Officer, Katakwi
In 2Ol5/16, Larwor was found to have diverted funds meant for rural transport infrastructure amounting to Shs102.4 million for low cost ceiling of Katakwi-Toroma Road. Parliament recommended for his interdiction to pave way for investigation and required him to make good the loss. In 2016l17 he authorized excess expenditure of Shs 167.7 million. He failed to account for Shs358.5 million and had doubtful expenditure of 138. 6 million and failed to remit shared revenue of Shs47. 3 million
Francis Andrew Oluka Chief Administrative Officer, Sironko
In Financial Year 2016/ 17 he authorized expenditure in excess of warrant to the tune of Shs1.765 billion. He failed to account for about Shs564.9 million. He had doubtful expenditure of Shs65.04 million and caused loss of about Shs6. 6 million to the district. In addition, the committee found that while Accounting Officer for Budaka, he was always out of station.
Patrick Olila, Chief Administrative Officer, Lamwo
In FY 2Ol5/16, Parliament found him to have mismanaged a contract awarded to M/S North Cross and Abayo Foundation for the supply of equipment to council and recommended for his interdiction to pave way for investigations. In 2016/17 he authorized expenditure in excess of warrant to the tune of Shs2.01 billion. He failed to account for funds to the tune of 13.9 million. He is also said to have diverted funds worth about Shs 4.6 million.
Dorothy Magoola Ajwang, chief Administrative Officer, Oyam
In 2016/17, she failed to account for Shs77.63 million. And has not provided leadership to the district local governments where she has been. The Committee has met her in Gulu while considering the Auditor General’s reports for Financial Years 2O14/15 and 2O15/16 and in Oyam while considering the Auditor General’s Report, trend is the same. “Even before those two stations the Committee established that the same prevailed while she was Accounting Officer in Kyegegwa and later Mpigi before Gulu,” the committee say in their recent report they presented to the Speaker of Parliament.
Balaba Swaibu, Town Clerk Moroto Municipality.
The committee says Mr. Balaba Swaibu showed incompetence in answering queries concerning his vote as he kept referring every question raised by the committee to the Finance Officer. This was clearly evidenced when the committee had to postpone a meeting because of the absence of the Finance Officer, in a matter that was related to the engineering Department as opposed to the Finance Department.
“The Committee recommends that the appointments of the above Accounting officers be reconsidered in light of the reservations of the Committee stated above,” the report read concluded.