Overview:
Mr. Byarugaba had also faced charges related to taking bribes and commission through waiving of NSSF contributions of workers of the Uganda Railways Corporation, and Uganda Broadcasting Corporation and reducing penalties that were to be paid by Tororo Cement, a development the IGG has found to be untrue.
KAMPALA – The Inspector General of Government (IGG) has cleared National Social Security Fund (NSSF) former Manager Director Mr Richard Byarugaba of 15 allegations including fraud and corruption.
According to a draft report, a result of more than 8 months of investigation by the IGG into complaints forwarded by whistle-blowers and labour minister Betty Amongi, the IGG cleared Brarugaba of all corruption offenses that were levied against him.
The whistleblowers alleged abuse of office and massive corruption by Mr. Byarugaba including budget exaggerations in the UGX400b purchasing of the land in Nakigala in Wakiso District.
The draft findings of the IGG indicated that the UGX400b was budgeted by NSSF to buy strategic land
“This included land at Nakigalala which was estimated at Shs250b and another piece of land located at Naguru belonging to the Uganda Police Force, estimated at Shs150b. It was not true that the former MD inflated the cost of the land at Nakigalala,” the IGG report indicated.
“It was not true that the Fund’s performance had been declining. On the contrary, the performance was good and better than most service sectors institutions like commercial banks and insurance companies that registered slow growth and high cost-income ratios of above 50 percent between 2017 and 2022. It also performed better than NSSF Kenya. However, the Fund needs to improve in registering new members,” the report indicated.
Mr. Byarugaba had also faced charges related to taking bribes and commission through waiving of NSSF contributions of workers of the Uganda Railways Corporation, and Uganda Broadcasting Corporation and reducing penalties that were to be paid by Tororo Cement, a development the IGG has found to be untrue.
“There was no evidence obtained to support the allegation that Mr Byarugaba waived NSSF contributions of workers of the Uganda Railways Corporation and Uganda Broadcasting Corporation and arbitrarily reduced the penalty that was levied on Tororo Cement Ltd,” the IGG report shows.
In another bribery allegation in the construction of apartments in Mbuya, Nakawa Division, and the investigators said they couldn’t find evidence M/S CATIC Construction Ltd paid bribes to NSSF to influence the award of the contract worth Shs14.5b in February 2016.
The IGG cleared Mr Byarugaba of refusing to implement the Gender, Labour, and Social Development minister and NSSF board’s proposal in the financial year 2022/23.
IGG investigators said it was false and “the minister needed the Shs6b to swindle it.”
Gender Minister Betty Amongi, in her defense on the floor of Parliament, said she only approved the release of the money following a work plan that was presented during a board meeting held at Serena Hotel on 25th November 2022.
She explained that the money was to be spent on the implementation of the strategic initiatives to expand the Fund.
“The UGX 6b budget I approved is appropriated under the NSSF Operations Budget for the Financial Year 2022/23 and the work plan has been presented to me by the Board and Management of NSSF,” she explained
The minister reiterated that the activities were not going to be run by her Ministry but by the NSSF management in partnership with relevant entities in Government and the private sector.
A separate parliamentary probe had however found Byarugaba guilty on some the charges that have been dismissed by the IGG as ungrounded.