KAMPALA, UGANDA – Burahya County Member of Parliament, Hon. Joseph Mugenyi, has questioned officials from the National Council of Sports (NCS) over the institution’s sources of funding and the financial costs reflected in its financial statements.
Mugenyi raised the concerns today as officials from the National Council of Sports appeared before Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) to respond to issues arising from the Auditor General’s report and matters concerning the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA).
During his submission, the legislator asked the witnesses to explain the sources of money used by the Council to finance its operations, particularly in light of the financial figures presented in the documents before the committee.
He specifically referred to page 19 of the financial records, where he observed that the Council indicated receiving more than Shs515 billion from the Treasury.
However, Mugenyi questioned why the same financial records also reflected financial costs amounting to approximately Shs177 billion, raising concerns about the nature and origin of those expenses.
The MP suggested that the financial costs could point to possible borrowing by the Council and challenged the officials to clarify whether the institution obtains loans or relies on other financing arrangements to support its activities.
He sought an explanation of how the Council raises additional resources to meet its financial obligations, despite receiving substantial funding from the Treasury.
“Because I’m seeing you on page 19, they are saying they’re getting money from Treasury, which was a lot of money — five hundred and fifteen plus billion. But again, down there, I’m seeing that they have some financial costs of about 177 billion,” Mugenyi told the witnesses.
He further asked the officials to explain where and how the Council obtains money to conduct its business, emphasising the need for clarity on its financing arrangements and the management of public resources.
The exchange formed part of COSASE’s accountability engagement with the National Council of Sports, during which officials were expected to address concerns arising from the Auditor General’s findings and other matters relating to the institution’s operations and its relationship with FUFA.
