William Kituuka Kiwanuka
JENNIFER MUSISI - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (KCCA)
New report exposes massive rot at KCCA
KCCA Executive Director Jennifer Musisi
By John Njoroge
Posted Wednesday, February 15 2012 at 00:00
In Summary
Queries. Auditor General’s report, tabled by Lord Mayor Lukwago, questions irregular job allocations at city authority, Shs20m overtime payment to ED Musisi and cites a driver who was paid Shs7m in a single month, among a motley of accountability queries.
Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago yesterday made public a report he said was written by the Auditor General that exposed irregular recruitment of unqualified staff, who were in turn paid hefty overtime allowances exceeding their salaries.
Beneficiaries, according to the report, included KCCA Executive Director Jennifer Musisi and at least three drivers, one of who received more than Shs5 million in overtime pay within just a month. While Ms Musisi took home at least Shs20m in allowances that same month.
According to the report, which Lord Mayor Lukwago said has not been tabled before Parliament because of pressure from President Museveni, Ms Musisi is cited in questionable overtime payments of Shs20 million and office imprest of Shs30 million in just two months of May, and June 2011.
Apparently, the AG says in the January 28 report for the financial year 2010/2011 that the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) ED is not supposed to earn overtime allowance, while her office has failed to account for the Shs30 million advance to her for imprest.
Influence peddling?
In unveiling the report yesterday, Lord Mayor Lukwago said: “Mr Museveni is trying to influence the report’s outcome by compelling the Auditor General to edit its contents to ensure Kampala City Executive Director Jennifer Musisi is not viewed in bad light.”
AG John Muwanga could not be reached for comment by press time but KCCA officials confirmed receipt of the report.
Ms Musisi last evening said most of the queries in the report were about issues which occurred when she was not KCCA ED.
“We took action on most of those queries even before the office of the Auditor General made their inquiries,” Ms Musisi said. The report queries the Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers Association (UTODA) contract. The controversial taxi body was recently thrown out of management of city public transport.
The report faults Ms Musisi on illegally receiving over Shs20 million in overtime payments.
“As a public officer, holding an established office with a fixed salary, Ms Musisi is not allowed to draw money for overtime,” said the report.
Fat pay to drivers
The AG also noted three drivers in Ms Musisi’s transitional team were earning overtime pay far above their monthly normal pay packages inclusive of lunch and transport allowances. In June 2011 for example, one driver, Mr Shakarim Male, received over Shs5.2 million in allowances even though his salary inclusive transport and lunch allowance was Shs1.8 million a month.
This, the AG said, is in contravention of best human resource management practice and standing orders where a maximum consolidated 30 per cent provision is envisaged for drivers.
The AG also noted a huge influx of unknown persons, said to be in Ms Musisi’s team who were being paid huge salaries and allowances by KCCA illegally.
But Ms Musisi defended herself, saying: “When I came to KCCA in April 2011, I neither had a team nor an appointment letter. Government gave me an allowance to enable me function.”
“I requested to be allowed to select a team to work with and government gave the approval,” Ms Musisi told Daily Monitor by telephone.
No comments:
Post a Comment