The Executive Director of the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) Allen Kagina is on the brink of losing her job after failing to stem massive corruption at the agency that has seen billions of shillings lost in shoddy deals with Chinese firms.
Information reaching us indicates that President Museveni might swing the axe anytime soon after growing impatient that Kagina- who was brought in to salvage the sinking ship that is UNRA- has either joined the thieves or lacks the know-how to start a crackdown.
Kagina was appointed UNRA Executive Director last year to help rid stealing of taxpayer’s money at UNRA. But in the last one year, over Shs 50billion has been lost in shoddy deals between UNRA and Chinese companies.
Kagina is also battling a lack of morale at the agency with most senior staff accusing her of favoritism after she brought in her close associates following her appointment
The seemingly final nail in Kagina’s battle came with information that she was part of five UNRA top executives that approved a Shs 21.9billion payment to China Railway Number 3 Engineering Group Company Uganda Limited, a firm that did not even have a contract with UNRA.
Museveni was so furious with that transaction that he publicly showered praises on Bugweri County MP Abdu Katuntu and rallied him to go after the thieves at UNRA. Katuntu is one of Museveni’s fiercest critics.
Worried about her job security, Kagina has been trying to get to the President to plead her innocence but her efforts have been in futility as the Big Man has simply refused giving her audience.
Kagina’s only hope now lies with the First Lady Janet Museveni, her close associate with whom she shares interests in the Pentecostal faiths in Uganda. Kagina has asked the First Lady to intervene on her behalf but it’s still unclear whether she[First Lady] has made any attempts to help her old buddy.
