By Andrew Irumba
Kampala: Parliament has re-appointed Kisaka and Company Certified Public Accountants, a private firm to audit the accounts of the Office of the Auditor General (OAG).
The company, which was initially appointed in 2017 to audit OAG accounts of previous years, will now audit the accounts for the financial years; 2017/2018, 2018/2019 and 2019/2020.
Parliamentary Commissioner, Hon. Robinah Nabbanja (NRM, Kakumiro district), moved the motion for the firm’s re-appointment, during plenary sitting on Wednesday, 17 July 2019.
She noted that Parliament is a public entity and that all its procurements must be following the public procurement and disposal of public assets laws.
“The Parliamentary Commission invited bids through open international bidding methods for the procurement of an auditor to audit the accounts of the Auditor General,” said Nabbanja.
She said that Kisaka and Company emerged the best-evaluated bidder to provide the auditing services.
Hon. Nandala Mafabi (FDC, Budadiri West) however inquired about the status of the previous accounts of the Auditor General.
“The Office of the Auditor-General has been audited for long but the reports have never been laid before this House. It will be wrong for us to assume that the Auditor General having been audited – that the reports are not presented here,” said Mafabi.
Hon. Kasiano Wadri (Ind., Arua Municipality) advised that the audit report from the appointed audit firm be in the custody of Parliament, and not the office of the Auditor-General.
“Once this audit firm does its work, they will have to submit the report to the Parliamentary Commission because it is the appointing authority,” said Wadri.
Hon. Ibrahim Semujju Nganda (FDC, Kiira Municipality) asked the Commission to avail details of the contract so that MPs are aware of the scope of work of the audit firm.
“We are going to pass the resolution to appoint Kisaka but we do not know the terms in the contract,” observed Semujju.
The Chairperson of the Finance Committee, Hon. Henry Musaasizi clarified that accounts of the Office of the Auditor-General for the previous years had been audited.
“The Committee of Finance has considered the audited accounts and is yet to present the report for debate,” said Musaasizi.
Article 163(9) of the 1995 Constitution and section 36 of the National Audit Act, 2008 mandates Parliament to appoint an auditor to audit the books of accounts of the office of the Auditor-General.
