The Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of Mismanagement, Abuse of Office and Corrupt Practices in the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has been extended by another three months.
President Yoweri Museveni, on September 5, 2015, signed a new instrument extending the Commission time from the original three months – which was to expire on September 7, 2015. "The Commission shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations…to the President in December 2015,” the new instrument read in part.
The Commission’s Chairperson, Hon. Lady Justice Catherine Bamugemereire, who was recently appointed alongside six others to the Court of Appeal, has welcomed the extension.
"It comes at an opportune time as the Commission prepares an interim report on the work so far handled. The extra time granted will go a long way in helping the Commission to cover all the areas of the Terms of Reference,” she said in an interview.
The Commission has in the past three months covered about 60 per cent of its mandate in which it has investigated into the handling of civil works, contracts management, the handling of more roads, and areas of procurement. She said part of the Commission time was taken up by the extensive paperwork and desktop preparation works before the field and public hearings that was quite extensive.
"We hope that the next quarter will be a little faster because we got quite a lot of information. But the amount of public interest outpaces the time the Commission can ever have,” said Hon. Lady Justice Bamugemereire.
The other Commissioners on the five-man probe team include: Ben Okello Luwum, Abraham Nkata, Eng. Patrick Rusongoza and Richard Mungati. Others include Charles Emuria (Commission secretary), Daniel Rutiba (assistant commission secretary), Andrew Kasirye (lead counsel), and Mary K. Kutesa (assistant lead counsel).
The Commission conducts public hearings at the Imperial Royalle Hotel’s Equator Hall in Kampala.
The Commission Terms of Reference
1. To investigate and inquire into the procurement and contract management processes by which UNRA awarded contracts for national road works.
2. To generally examine, investigate the procurement of works, services and supplies by UNRA.
3. To investigate and inquire into the management, supervision and administration of national road works by UNRA.
4. To generally examine and inquire into the legal and corporate governance structures of UNRA.
5. To investigate and inquire into the financial management systems of UNRA.
6. To investigate and inquire into the acquisition of land by UNRA and generally to examine the basis and methodology employed by the Authority to compensate land owners and persons affected by national road works.
7. To investigate and inquire into the management, supervision and administration of public weigh-bridges by UNRA.
8. Generally, to inquire into any other matter which appears to the Commission, to be reasonably related to the matters above or to be in the public interest.
9. To make appropriate recommendations based upon their findings for remedial actions or such other actions against persons found to have acted improperly in the discharge of their public duties and those persons who benefited from the impugned actions of the public officials.
10. To make appropriate recommendations upon their findings for criminal prosecution or other actions against any person found to have engaged in criminal or improper conduct.
11. To make any other recommendations as it may consider appropriate in the public interest.
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