Members of Parliament’s Natural Resources Committee have dismissed officials from the Ministry of Water and Environment after they failed to explain why the number of sites under Phase One of the Solar-Powered Water Supply and Irrigation Project was reduced from 920 to 687.
The legislators questioned the ministry’s decision to alter the number of sites approved by Parliament without seeking authorisation, despite the project being financed through a €111 million loan to the Government of Uganda, equivalent to about Shs440 billion.
The officials, led by State Minister for Water Aisha Ssekindi, appeared before the committee, chaired by Kazo County MP Dan Kimosho, to account for the implementation of the project’s first phase. The meeting came shortly after Parliament approved another loan to finance Phase Two of the project.
During the engagement, the committee also questioned the ministry’s failure to conduct a feasibility study before implementing the first phase.
In their defence, ministry officials said the project had initially been managed by the Ministry of Agriculture, where it was struggling, before being transferred to the Ministry of Water and Environment.
“This project was under the Ministry of Agriculture and it was failing, it was then transferred to the Ministry of Water and Environment,” one of the officials said.
However, the explanation did not satisfy the legislators, who sought clarification on why the ministry reduced the number of planned water sites from 920 to 687 without returning to Parliament for approval.
Bukimbiri County MP Eddie Kwizera Wagahungu questioned the decision, arguing that the ministry could not unilaterally alter a project approved by Parliament, particularly one financed through a loan that taxpayers must repay.
“You cannot reduce sites from 920 to 687 without coming back to Parliament for approval. This is a loan that Ugandans will pay, we need full accountability,” one of the MPs said.
Sam Ibanda Mugabi, a member of the Natural Resources Committee, said the legislators could not proceed with the engagement without documentation explaining the changes made to the project.
“You have failed to explain why you reduced the sites. You did not carry out a feasibility study and you changed what Parliament approved. We cannot continue with this engagement,” MP Nankabirwa said.
Committee chairperson Dan Kimosho subsequently dismissed the officials and directed the ministry to return with comprehensive documentation explaining the reduction in the number of sites, the feasibility study and how the loan funds had been utilised.
“You are dismissed. Go and bring detailed documentation relating to the reduction in the number of water sites, the feasibility study if any, and the utilization of the 111 million Euros. Until then, you cannot proceed,” Kimosho ruled.
The ministry is expected to provide the requested documentation before the committee resumes its examination of the project’s implementation and expenditure.
The scrutiny comes as the government moves to implement the second phase of the solar-powered water supply and irrigation programme, placing renewed focus on accountability for public borrowing and the delivery of infrastructure approved by Parliament.