Kisoro CAO reinstates Civil servant to full duties despite being accused of Corruption.

By Alex Gahima

The office of the Kisoro Chief Administrative officer (CAO) is coming under heavy fire from district councilors following a decision to reinstate assignment of duties to Dr. Ngabo Herbert Budasha as acting District Production and Marketing Officer.

Ngabo is accused of mismanaging district funds worth 28,450,000 Ugandan shillings, meant for 1.5 acres Maziba Demonstration Farm in Burungu village, Sooko Parish, Muramba Sub County, Kisoro district in the financial year of 2020/2021.

A total of 36 district councilors have appended their signatures to a petition to the Kisoro Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Hajji Shafiq Sekandi demanding immediate intervention after the interdicted officer was reinstated back to his duties, before the monies have been refunded.

In their petition, the district Councilors led by their Speaker Amos Hakizimana claim that, by reinstating Dr. Ngabo back to his full duties before the corruption allegations have been cleared is setting a wrong precedent.

“We simply cannot sit back and watch when a government worker accused of corruption is put back in the same office even before the case against him has been resolved, Hakizimana said.

According to Hakizimana, reinstatement of Dr. Ngabo can be seen as complete disregard to the Local Government Public Accounts Committee and all its recommendations.

A district council meeting held back in March, 2020 directed that the embattled district Veterinary officer be investigated for misappropriation of funds that were spent on activities carried out on Maziba Demonstration farm.

A report compiled by the Kisoro district Local Government Public Accounts Committee (PAC) recommended that Dr. Ngabo refund all the money mismanaged on Maziba farm amounting to 28, 450,000 shillings and disciplinary action be taken against him.

The audio report, further spells out how the monies were mismanaged including 10,200,000 shillings meant for the cost of supplies to Mushroom seed production unit, 6,000,000 shillings meant for the maintenance of the farm structure, 6, 250,000 shillings meant for the startup materials at Maziba farm and another 6,000,000 shillings meant for the procurement of 40 bags of DAP for animal pasture totaling to 28,450,000 Ugandan shillings.

On the 24^th of January, 2022, Senior Agricultural Officer Solomon Himbaza Basaza occupied the office of District Production officer, following withdraw of assignments of duty from Dr. Ngabo by Kisoro CAO Mussa Ismal Onzu.

NGABO SEEKS REDRESS FROM COURT

A Kabale High court injunction, dated 12^th April, 2022 states that the handover of office of the District Production officer including assignment of duties must not be effected.

The document addressed to Mussa Ismal Onzu further demanded that the vote control 4 meant for production and marketing immediately be revoked from Basaza Solomon and be reinstated to Dr. Ngabo.

Mr. Onzu says, it is true that Dr. Ngabo is back in office as Acting Head of Production and declined to comment further on court matters, claiming further discussion into the matter would be prejudicial to court.

Kisoro district LCV chairperson Abel Bizimana also declined to comment on the matter.

Kisoro Resident District Commissioner Hajji Shafiq Sekandi says, his office has received the petition and has decided to write to the office of the CAO seeking further explanation on the matter.

“At this juncture, it is imperative that we deploy the nature rule of justice where both parties will be allowed to present their sides before any action can be taken, Sekandi said.