Mbarara University Officials Grilled Over Inconsistences in Accounts Records

Parliament has interrogated the Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) management over the loopholes in the accounts records sighting a lot of forged figures.

This followed a report by the Auditor General John Muwanga for the financial year 2017/18 in which over  sh2.9b  meant for University development was returned to the Consolidated Fund accounts when it failed to be put to use.

The MPs decision to seek an explanation from the management was sparked by payable accounts which had totally different figures but in the end, the sheet were still balancing.

“There are three different figures in the accounts for the same item. Which one should we take as domestic arrears? How did the accounts balance with such inconsistencies? These are doctored figures,” Public Accounts Committee chairperson Budadiri West MP Nandala Mafabi asked.

According to the university secretary, Melchoir Byaruhanga, the university failed to utilise the money because the project went through procurement challenges and later court processes which affected its timely execution.

staff strike in which both teaching and non-teaching staff  vowed to sit-down until the University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Celestine Obua and the secretary are fired from their offices.

MUST staff on May 2, under their umbrella  Mbarara University of Science and Technology Academic Staff Association (MUSTASA) opted for a sit-down-strike demanding the resignation of the Vice Chancellor and the University Secretary.

However, the Vice Chancellor also fired back saying the staff were only driven by Tribalism and politics.

“Of course I cannot fail to say that some belong to opposition parties and they say they do not want a person from another tribe which I think is unfortunate.  I had been barred by council from speaking to media but now since they have pushed me to also speak, I will expose all those that have tried to ask me for favours and when I rejected they turned against me,” Prof. Obua highlighted.