UIA director general, Mukiza staff share shs280m in ‘service award’

A scandal has rocked the Uganda Investment Authority in which the director general Robert Mukiza and staff shared shs280 million in form of a ‘service award’.

The UIA officials and staff are said to have paid themselves shs as honorary payment off the loan funded Kampala Industrial Park Development Project.

In a June, 12 letter to the UIA board chairperson, Morisson Rwakakamba, the Investment Minister, Evelyn Anite said the sharing of the money was despicable.

“I find the above despicable, uncouth, barbaric and uncultured that people who have been tasked with the responsibility of delivering such a project within 5 years not only have they underperformed but also they are busy chest thumping and dishing to themselves huge sums of the project loan,” Anite said.

“All these tantamount to mischarge, abuse and corruption at the expense of taxpayers of Uganda. This is not in line with the vision of H.E the President of Republic Uganda, General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of industrializing Uganda for job creation, wealth creation and social economic transformation.”

In the letter, Anite directed the UIA board of directors to ensure the staff and project team members who received the money refund it within 24 hours of face reprimand.

Following my meeting with the Honorable Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Matia Kasaija and the Board of Directors, Uganda Investment Authority respectively on this matter, I therefore direct as follows:

“Failure to do so within the stipulated timeframe, will attract dire consequences.”