former Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Patrick Mutabwire.

The former Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government, Patrick Mutabwire, last week  failed to explain to MPs the circumstances under which over 12 billion shillings was diverted.

Mutabwire was appearing before the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee on Thursday Chaired by Soroti district Woman MP, Angelina Ossege.

The money was meant to procure 111 vehicles for all district chairpersons and six other vehicles for the ministry for the financial year 2014/15.

The Auditor General’s Report for the financial year 2014/15 shows that over seven (7) billion shillings was released to aid partial payment of the district vehicles and full payment of all the six vehicles requested by the ministry but only 1.5 billion shillings was used and the balance was diverted to recurrent expenditure without authority from Keith Muhakanizi, the Secretary to the Treasury.

The money was later diverted to personal accounts of ministry officials. Mutabwire in his defense said that most of the money was diverted to cater for pressing needs in the ministry including the African Day of Decentralization.
“These activities would have to be done and have them completed 100% but (ministry of) Finance was to spread releases throughout the financial year,” Mutabwire said, provoking bitter reactions from members.

Mathias Mpuuga, the Masaka Municipality legislator asked whether the activities  were an emergency to no response.

In October last year, Irene Mulyagonja the Inspector General of Government indicted Mr Mutabwire the then acting Permanent Secretary of Local Government following allegations of  incompetence and graft, replacing him with John Walala.