The Public Accounts Committee (PAC-Central Government) has dismissed officials from the Ministry of Local Government after they failed to respond to audit queries that MPs described as basic and straightforward.
The officials, led by Permanent Secretary Ben Kumumanya, appeared before the committee on Monday, 28 September 2026, to respond to findings in the Auditor General’s Report for the financial year 2024/2025.
The committee asked ministry officials to explain expenditure beyond their approved budget. According to the Auditor General’s Report, the ministry received Shs12 billion but spent Shs13 billion, prompting MPs to question the source of the additional funds.
The ministry was also asked to explain a Shs7.5 million charge incurred while transferring Shs56 million in non-tax revenue to the Consolidated Fund.
Committee Chairperson, Hon. Patrick Oshabe, said the meeting could not proceed because the officials had failed to answer the simplest questions.
“How can we proceed when you have failed the easiest questions? We are saying you spent more than what you received. The non-tax revenue is the easiest query, but the Permanent Secretary and a senior accountant are all unable to answer,” Oshabe said.
He described the ministry’s lack of preparedness as regrettable and warned that its next appearance would be widely broadcast.
“We cannot have a senior accountant who cannot respond to a query on non-tax revenue. You cannot have it recorded in Parliament that you were charged Shs7.5 million to transfer Shs56 million. Next time, come ready to defend your budget,” Oshabe said.
The committee directed Kumumanya to return with the heads of the ministry’s projects and other officials capable of accounting for the expenditures.
MPs expressed disappointment that officials from a ministry whose political leadership is actively campaigning against corruption had appeared before Parliament unprepared.
He added that the leadership of Parliament was considering punitive measures against government entities that repeatedly fail to account for public funds.
Tororo South County MP, Hon. Fredrick Angura, criticised accounting officers for treating parliamentary committees lightly, yet they later return to the same committees seeking approval for their budgets.
Kumumanya explained that the official most familiar with the financial figures was on leave and requested another opportunity to prepare adequate responses.
The committee subsequently dismissed the officials and directed them to return at a later date with satisfactory explanations.
