MPs summon Kampala lawyer over Shs 39bln tea farmers’ compensation

KAMPALA – Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises [COSASE] has summoned lawyer Patrick Kiconco Katabaazi, a partner with Pathways Advocates over failure to account for Shs 39 billion meant for Kigezi region tea nursery bed operators.

This followed a meeting with the executive director of the National Agricultural Advisory Services [NAADS], Samuel Mugasi yesterday.

The committee is scrutinising the report of the Auditor General on financial statements of NAADS for the financial year 2021/2022.

Kiconco was expected to appear before the committee but delegated his colleague, Asiimwe Mugumya who was rejected by the committee.

According to the Auditor General’s report, NAADS advanced Shs 39bln to Pathways Advocates to compensate tea nursery operators who had sued government for failure to procure their seedlings.

Mugasi tabled evidence that the agricultural body advanced funds to Pathways Advocates in two installments of Shs 27bln and Shs 12bln.

MP Eddie Kwizera however, said that out of the 142 beneficiaries from Kisoro, he randomly sampled five farmers who allegedly have been paid but they revealed that they had not received any money.

“Are you [Mugasi] aware that some people did not get the money? 50 per cent of beneficiaries from Kisoro have not received any money. I want NAADS to provide evidence that those farmers have received the money,” Kwizera said.

Mugasi replied that, ’I am not aware and let the lawyer himself come and provide this information’.

The Committee’s lead Counsel, Ronald Ndyomugenyi said that whilst NAADS has evidence that the money was disbursed to Pathways Advocates, the farmers have not been paid.

“Despite the fact that there was a consent judgment that has all the names of the tea nursery bed operators, when you look at the accountability, the lawyer is not telling NAADS what each farmer received, they just gave block figures for sub regions,” said Ndyomugenyi.

This prompted the Committee’s Vice Chairperson, Lucy Akello to summon Kiconco to appear before the committee on Tuesday, 15 August 2023.

“Without fail, we will specifically meet Kiconco and he should come with the list of the beneficiaries, their bank details, amount of funds each one received and the National Identification Numbers,” said Akello.

She accused NAADS of being reluctant to ensure that Pathways Advocates provides accountability of funds received.

“You paid money to the lawyer to pay the farmers and these are NAADS farmers. NAADS has the responsibility to ensure farmers have received the money,” Akello said.

Kiconco is also the executive director, and founder of Centre for Budget and Tax Policy, a leading think tank on budget and tax policy in Africa and beyond.

https://thecooperator.news/big-boost-as-kasese-apple-farmers-receive-70000-seedlings-from-naads/

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