KAMPALA: The Human Rights and Peace Centre—HURIPEC, a semi-autonomous research department at the School of Law, Makerere University, is engaging legislators to follow the money that the government received or even appropriated for the management of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr Zahara Nampewo, the Executive Director of the Department, highlighted that since the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020, a total of USD 2,001 million (about 7.458 billion Shillings) has been committed by various development partners through loans and grants as support interventions for the control and management of the disease.
A total of 2.371 billion shillings was also released as part of government expenses in the financial year 2020/21. An additional 1.503 trillion Shillings was approved in the budget during the same financial year, while supplementary funding of 1.282 trillion Shillings was also provided in respect of the interventions identified by the government.
Out of this, on-budget COVID-19 funding accounted for USD 1.064 million (3.966 billion Shillings) and off-budget support accounted for USD 936.86 million (3.488 million Shillings). The off-budget support was through cash and in-kind donations from various partners.
Through a project dubbed “Transparency and Accountability for COVID-19 Resources,” HURIPEC has now embarked on the task of ensuring that all funds collected and disbursed for this cause are accounted for.
HURIPEC is now challenging the government to come clean and present clear accountability to the public.
Jackson Odong, a Research Associate at the Department, pointed out that in their findings, out of an approved discretionary total budget of 29.907 billion Shillings for the current financial year, 46.7 percent, or 13.979 billion Shillings, was released, out of which 3.123 billion Shillings remained unspent by various government ministries, departments, and agencies-MDAs by half-year, implying poor budget execution.
In a response, Kassanda District Woman MP Flavia Kalule Nabagabe observed that, by implication, the assessment of expenditure performance of COVID-19 reveals poor budget execution, adding that the COVID funds appropriated and received by the government remain a subject of contention.
Napore West MP Phillips Lowang Ilukol, who participated in the budget review of COVID-19 resources organized by HURIPEC, faulted the government for exploiting the existing loopholes in its system to elude accountability, especially during a crisis.
The COVID-19 pandemic has distressed the Ugandan economy amidst fears, prompting the government to implement measures such as prolonged lockdown to contain the spread of the contagion, thus affecting livelihoods.