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The Kasese District Public Accounts Committee has given the Accounting Officer of Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Town Council until May 8, 2026, to submit written responses to unresolved audit queries raised in the first and second quarters of the 2025/2026 financial year.
The directive follows growing concerns over financial management and accountability within several local government entities in the district.
Officials from Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Town Council, alongside accounting officers from Kitabu, Kahokya, Kisinga, Kilembe, Bwesumbu, and Kyondo sub-counties, were summoned by the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer to explain a series of audit concerns.
Among the issues raised were the alleged absence of ledger books, missing work plans, and weaknesses in record management. The findings are contained in the Internal Audit Quarterly Report for the first quarter of the 2025/2026 financial year dated September 30, 2025.
Felix Kato Soro, Chairperson of the Kasese District Public Accounts Committee, expressed concern over what he described as poor financial performance at Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Town Council despite its strategic location at the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
According to Soro, the town council should be generating and managing revenue more effectively given the high level of commercial activity at the border crossing. The committee also highlighted broader administrative and planning gaps within the town council.
Among the concerns cited in the audit report are the absence of an updated Physical Development Plan, failure to demarcate plots, unnamed roads, and lack of clearly marked routes—issues the committee says affect revenue collection, planning, and monitoring.
Auditors further questioned the integrity and accuracy of the council’s financial records, noting that poor record-keeping and delayed updates have weakened the reliability of financial statements. The report warns that such weaknesses could affect informed decision-making and undermine transparency in the management of public resources.
However, the Head of Finance at Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Town Council, Steven Mulemba, rejected some of the findings. Mulemba clarified that the town council does have a Physical Development Plan, though it has since expired and is currently under review for renewal.
He said the council is already taking steps to update and formalize the plan in order to address the concerns raised in the audit report.The Public Accounts Committee says timely responses to the audit queries are necessary to strengthen accountability and improve financial management across local governments in Kasese District.
Source: URN
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