KAMPALA, UGANDA — Budabiri East Member of Parliament Julius Nakiyi called for the development of standardised internal control templates to guide public and civil servants in executing their duties, saying the initiative would reduce audit queries, prevent losses of public resources and improve efficiency in government institutions.
Speaking on the floor of the Parliament of Uganda, Nakiyi said government entities needed clear and uniform internal control systems to help public officers understand their responsibilities, follow established procedures and minimise administrative weaknesses that often exposed institutions to audit queries and financial irregularities.
The legislator argued that standardised templates would provide practical guidance on the procedures officers were expected to follow while carrying out their assignments. He noted that clearly defined responsibilities, reporting lines and operational processes would help public servants execute their duties more effectively while complying with relevant rules and regulations.
Nakiyi said the proposed framework could significantly reduce audit issues by helping government institutions identify weaknesses before they developed into serious financial or administrative problems. He emphasised that stronger internal controls would enable entities to detect irregularities early, improve record-keeping and ensure that public resources were used for their intended purposes.
He further observed that effective internal controls would help prevent postmortem reviews, where weaknesses were identified only after mistakes or losses had occurred. According to Nakiyi, government institutions needed to prioritise preventive measures that addressed risks in advance rather than relying entirely on investigations and corrective action after problems emerged.
The MP also highlighted the need to seal areas of value leakage within public institutions, arguing that stronger systems were necessary to protect public funds, assets and other resources from avoidable losses. He said improving internal controls would add value to government entities by promoting efficiency, strengthening financial management and ensuring that available resources delivered better results.
Nakiyi stressed that the purpose of oversight should not be limited to identifying wrongdoing or “catching the thief,” but should also focus on improving business processes within government institutions. He argued that oversight mechanisms should help public entities identify operational weaknesses, correct procedural gaps and develop systems that supported effective service delivery.
The legislator further noted that some public officers made mistakes simply because they did not understand what was expected of them. He suggested that standardised procedures and practical guidance could help address such errors by giving officers a clearer understanding of their responsibilities. He also underscored the importance of institutional systems that promoted compliance, accountability and continuous improvement.
Nakiyi’s proposal placed emphasis on preventive accountability as a means of strengthening public administration. If adopted and effectively implemented, standardised internal control templates could help government institutions reduce audit queries, minimise resource leakages and improve operational performance. His remarks highlighted the importance of balancing the detection of wrongdoing with measures that equipped public servants to perform their duties correctly and deliver greater value to Ugandans.
