Auditor General Slashes Umeme Buyout to $118M

The Auditor General, Edward Akol, has directed that the amount due to UMEME upon the end of its concession is only US Dollars 118 million, approximately 433.61 billion Shillings.

The amount contradicts an earlier figure of US Dollars 190.9 million, approximately 700.2 billion Shillings that the government had requested for the UMEME Buy out of which Parliament appropriated.

The already appropriated figure is 267.6 billion Shillings in excess as per the figure recommended by the Auditor General in a Special Audit report presented to the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, on Thursday.

The Speaker Among while receiving the report, said that Parliament agreed to pass the loan on condition that the amount to be paid to UMEME would be the one audited by the Auditor General.

“When we last had a sitting in the house, the loan which was brought into the house was US Dollars 190 million. I am aware that the audit is completed, and the approved amount that has come out of the audit is about US Dollars 118 million. So we should be able to pay what the Auditor General is reporting, not the estimate that we were given. And as we made a disclaimer that day, that we shall only pay based on the Auditor General’s report,” the Speaker noted.

She added, “And after receiving this report now, we are going to have this report laid on the table this morning, and that will form a basis of the Parliament’s document, and the payment should be done as per the agreement.”

Among also commended the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) and Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) for providing all the required documents to the Auditor General that helped in the completion of the audit and further asked the Government to ensure Ugandans get better services upon takeover.

Following the interface between the Speaker and the Auditor General, the Special Audit report was tabled on the floor of parliament by the Minister of State for Finance- General Duties, Henry Musasizi.

The Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa, noted that Parliament can only recommend a figure approved by the Auditor General to be paid out. He posed a question for parliament to approve the new figure in the Special Audit, and this was approved by legislators, rescinding their earlier decision on the matter.

Tayebwa directed the Clerk to Parliament to ensure that the new resolution of Parliament reaches the Executive today, so that US Dollars 118 million is paid out to UMEME, instead of US Dollars 190.9 million.

He further directed the Minister of Energy, Ruth Nankabirwa, to report back to parliament on the payment process.