Kwania DEO still in hot soup over Shs 200mln
KWANIA– Kwania District Education Officer [DEO], Andrew Omunu is still in trouble over the misappropriation of Shs 200mln meant for the development of the new Aduku Seed Secondary School.
The funds were part of Shs 2bln released by the government to build the school under Uganda Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfer (UGIFT) funded by the World Bank.
The was supposed to be used for the construction of classroom blocks, ICT laboratory, administration blocks, library, science laboratory, staff quarters, procure 28 computers, projector, CCTV, and playground.
However, recently when the state minister for education in charge of sports, Denis Hamson Obua visited the school to commission the new facilities, he found some were missing on the checklist.
Among the items missing were; CCTVs, 14 computers, projector among others.
Obua quizzed Omunu to explain why the equipment supposed to have been procured were missing.
In reply, Omunu used part of the money [Shs 210mln] to procure a pickup truck for the education department and opening of an access road leading to the school.
However, his explanation was unconvincing as the opening of the road and procurement of a pick-up truck were not in the scope of work.
Minister Obua ordered the district police commander, Charles Mugisha to interrogate Omunu further over abuse of office, diversion and misappropriation of funds.
After two weeks, the chief administrative officer, Francis Opolot stopped Omunu from stepping into the office.
In his interdiction letter, Opolot banned him from leaving the country without permission from the responsible authorities.
He said Omunu was the chairperson contracts committee, a vote controller of the department and project. manager of Aduku Seed Secondary School. The police have commenced investigations and he should pave the way. “Being the head of contracts committee, a vote controller of the department, and a project manager, the police have commenced investigations into the matter,” he said.
“The project is the subject of investigation and you are hereby required to cooperate with the police in furnishing them with all the necessary information,” he added.
According to the public standing orders, interdiction is the temporary removal of a public officer from exercising his or her duties while an investigation over particular misconduct is being carried out.
https://thecooperator.news/kwania-schools-grapple-with-poor-infrastructure/
Buy your copy of theCooperator magazine from one of our countrywide vending points or an e-copy on emag.thecooperator.news
