Officials from the Ministry of Information, Communications Technology (ICT) and National Guidance found themselves on the hot seat as they appeared before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee to explain how they spent public money. The committee, which reviews government spending based on the Auditor General’s reports, grilled the ministry over missing funds, diverted budgets, and poorly executed projects.

Led by Permanent Secretary Dr. Aminah Zawedde, the ministry’s team faced sharp criticism from lawmakers who uncovered shocking gaps in funding and accountability. One of the biggest concerns was that two key departments within the ministry only received money to pay salaries but got no operational funds. This means workers in those departments have been sitting idle with no resources to carry out their duties.

The committee also questioned why the ministry, despite being crucial to Uganda’s National Development Plan, receives only 780 million shillings for development projects—a figure MPs called far too low for its responsibilities. Even more alarming was the discovery of 23 billion shillings that was given to the ministry without clear records of how it was spent.

Dr. Zawedde explained that the money was part of a 30-billion-shilling presidential directive to support the struggling Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC). However, lawmakers were not satisfied, demanding proper documentation to prove the funds were used as intended.

Another major issue was the ministry’s decision to divert money meant for building ICT parks—a key government project—to instead set up smaller ICT hubs. The committee accused the ministry of making this change without approval from the Ministry of Finance or Parliament, calling it an illegal diversion of funds.

To make matters worse, the ministry was found to have spent 14 billion shillings on activities with no clear performance indicators, meaning there was no way to measure whether the money achieved anything useful. This raised serious concerns about wasteful spending and poor planning.

MPs on the committee, led by Chairperson Muwanga Kivumbi, pressed Dr. Zawedde for answers, insisting that public funds must be used transparently. “We cannot keep approving money for projects that either don’t happen or don’t benefit the people,” Kivumbi said. “The ministry must explain where this money went and why projects are not delivering results.”

The hearing highlighted deeper problems in Uganda’s ICT sector, including chronic underfunding and mismanagement of key initiatives. The ministry is responsible for driving digital transformation, improving internet access, and supporting innovation, yet its own internal struggles are slowing progress.

The Public Accounts Committee’s tough scrutiny is expected to push the ministry to clean up its financial management and ensure future projects are properly planned and monitored. Lawmakers warned that if accountability does not improve, they may recommend stricter controls or even budget cuts for the ministry.

As the session ended, it was clear that the ICT ministry has a lot of work to do to regain the trust of Parliament and the public. With Uganda’s digital future at stake, the pressure is now on Dr. Zawedde and her team to fix these issues—or face even tougher consequences in the next audit.