The Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) has queried the transfer by the Minister for Public Service, Hon. Wilson Muruli Mukasa to increase the operational mandate of Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC).
The features of the UWEC are speculated to be merged into the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) following the presidential assent to the Uganda Wildlife (Amendment) Act, 2024 which included it as a directorate.
The Bill was assented to by President Yoweri Museveni on 14 June 2024, implying that UWEC is meant to be beneath UWA efficient 01 July 2024.
Bukimbiri County Member of Parliament, Hon. Eddie Kwizera, put UWEC’s Executive Director, Dr James Musinguzi to process as to why the centre continues to be working beneath its personal jurisdiction regardless of the merger.
Musinguzi stated that the Minister for Public Service wrote a letter extending the operations of UWEC for one more three months.
Committee Chairperson, Hon. Medard Sseggona questioned the minister’s motion saying it went in opposition to the method executed by Parliament in scrutinising and approving the mergers of entities via a number of rationalisation Bills.
“We are questioning the place the minister will get the cash to pay them and the place he bought the authority to overview or range the choice of Parliament with none session on the matter,” stated Seggona.
He alluded to the processing of the rationalisation Bills when the House tasked the Public Service Minister on their operationalisation.
“Remember Hon. Muruli Mukasa was grilled in Parliament on this and he gave us assurance that by 30 June 2024, all will probably be sorted to kick off the rationalisation of those entities,” Sseggona added.
He stated the minister will probably be invited to elucidate the transfer to range Parliament’s choice by extending UWEC’s operationalisation and the place the funding for the centre for the prolonged interval will probably be sourced from.
“It confirms that authorities was not ready for the rationalisation and they’re coming again with extra proposals,” Sseggona stated.
Musinguzi advised the Committee that regardless of the expansion of UWEC’s finances from Shs9.2 billion in monetary yr 2022/2023 to Shs21 billion within the Financial Year 2023/2024, the assets nonetheless stay insufficient.
“There is want to extend UWEC’s operational finances by Shs6 billion to cater for welfare, well being and vitamin of the elevated variety of animals on the centre. An emergency fund can be set as much as handle emergencies like animal rescue,” Musinguzi stated.
