COSASE Grills Minister Babalanda over 7bn UPPC Scandal - defends self .

Minister for presidency Milly Babalanda has denied allegations that she influenced recruitment of the new board of Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation (UPPC).

Babalanda appeared before the parliamentary committee on statutory and state enterprise (COSASE) yesterday Tuesday 28th March 2023 to offer her defence to the aforementioned allegations.

Babalanda said she did not influence the appointment of Kenneth Olumu the board’s acting managing director. 

The minister for presidency further said she had to take up the responsibility of the board in its absence.

The minister for presidency said she stopped the purchase of a second printer at UPPC having cited corruption at the cooperation.

However, COSASE Chairperson Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi insisted that Minister Babalanda was executing the duties of the board illegally.

COSASE is probing a shs7 billion scandal involving UPPC. 

Minister Babalanda is accused of having withdrawn money from Kenya Commercial Bank that was meant to buy machines for UPPC.

Minister Babalanda interdicted UPPC board in 2021 and has been acting as the board’s chairman as well as the procurement in charge since then.

According to an COSASE report, UPPC had been saving the money to purchase the said machines, however, the Minister expelled the Board in 2021 and took over management and procurement roles.

While performing the two roles illegally, the source maintains that the Minister depleted the UPPC coffers.

“She personally signed out the money, the account is empty at the moment,” COSASE claimed.

On 2nd July 2021, the UPPC banked Shs 529 million to the account, earlier in March that year, the agency had banked Shs600 and Shs521m respectively.

According to more documents seen by the Freeman News UG, the UPPC had also banked Shs3b in May and Shs4.5billion the month before.

It should be noted that in August 2021, Minister Babalanda abruptly issued a directive temporarily suspending the activities of the board of governors at the government printers. 

Hon.Nkunyingi Muwadda, also COSASE member was concerned as to why the minister appointed only Muslims and  Anglicans on board of directors.