Ministry of Local Government Officials Falter Under MP Scrutiny Over Audit Queries

Members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC-Central Government) on Monday, September 28, 2026, sent away officials from the Ministry of Local Government. The officials, led by Permanent Secretary Ben Kumumanya, were unable to address fundamental questions arising from the Auditor General’s report for the 2024/2025 financial year.

Key among the queries was an explanation for the ministry’s expenditure of Shs13 billion, which exceeded their allocated budget of Shs12 billion. Lawmakers questioned the source of the additional Shs1 billion.

Furthermore, the committee sought clarification on a Shs7.5 million charge incurred during the transfer of Shs56 million in non-tax revenue to the Consolidated Fund. Committee Chairperson, Hon. Patrick Oshabe, deemed the officials’ inability to answer these straightforward questions “regrettable.”

“How can we proceed when you have failed the easiest questions?” Oshabe questioned, highlighting the unpreparedness of senior accounting staff. He warned that future appearances would be broadcast and emphasized the need for officials to be ready to defend their budgets.

The committee instructed the Permanent Secretary to return with key project heads and other officials capable of providing a full accounting of the expenditures. The lack of preparation was seen as particularly concerning, given the ministry’s stated commitment to fighting corruption.

Hon. Fredrick Angura, MP for Tororo South County, criticized accounting officers for not taking parliamentary committee appearances seriously. Permanent Secretary Kumumanya attributed the lack of readiness to a key official being on leave and requested more time to prepare thorough responses.

The committee ultimately dismissed the officials, mandating their return with adequate explanations on a future date. The leadership is reportedly considering punitive actions against entities that repeatedly fail to account for public funds.

Source: https://www.parliament.go.ug/news/4633/local-government-ministry-officials-fail-mps-queries