I was recently appointed Minister, Office of the President (Science, Technology and Innovation) serviced by the State House Comptroller. In this period as the Ministry is being transferred to the Office of the President, I am relying on other government departments that were dealing with the old Ministry of Science Technology and innovation. The offices I am relying on include the Auditor General’s department that has officially carried out the Audit of MOSTI, and the Ministry of Finance that was releasing funds to MOSTI.
The information I present under here is based on information I obtained in the capacity of Senior Presidential Advisor on Epidemics then and information I have now obtained in my new role as a Minister from other government departments.
On the issue of accountability, I therefore respond as follows:
PRESIDE does not handle the COVID fund disbursements to scientists or purchase of equipment. Our organogram is clear for all to see.
The COVID Fund as passed by parliament in a Supplementary budget is handled by two accounting officers that are Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) and State House Comptroller. This is in accordance with guidance by the Permanent Secretary / Secretary to the Treasury Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development in a letter dated 4 August 2020.
The operational funds relating to the staff costs and activities that PRESIDE was undertaking were disbursed and accounted for through the State House Comptroller. She is therefore the right accounting officer to provide you with detailed accountability for these funds.
The funds for project related activities were disbursed through the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. Although the Accounting Officer has since been retired and the ministry abolished by the President, the individual who served as accounting officer remains available to account for these funds.
The Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with PRESIDE that specifically stipulated that the role of accounting for the funds rested with the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.
To my knowledge, this remains the position and the said accounting officer, I am sure, can account adequately for any of these funds.
The funds earmarked for projects were disbursed directly to the Grantees by The Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) and were not at any time under the management or oversight of PRESIDE. There were 23 projects approved for funding, all of which had Principal Investigators. These Principal investigators will confirm that they received funding directly from The Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) and NOT from PRESIDE.
The Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) in fulfilment of its mandate to account for the funds disbursed to scientist and those used to purchase equipment for the research made reports to state house and also gave a detailed report with progress reports, work plans and budgets for the next financial year in a policy statement to parliament.
The office of the Auditor General carried out an audit of the COVID related funds at The Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) and produced a report on 8th June 2021. They are now in the final stages of the audit at the closure of the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (MOSTI). This exercise is being facilitated by the accounting officers that were in the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) at the time.
ALSO READ: Dr. MONICA MUSENERO: What is the truth about Uganda’s COVID-19 Vaccine Research? | PART I
The information in respect to the supplementary Budget of Shs.31Bn to support the Presidential Initiative on Epidemics (PRESIDE) under Vote 023 allocated to the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) is contained in the MOSTI policy Statement made to parliament by the former Minister, letter of PS MOSTI to PS Ministry of Finance on funds disbursement to scientist Dated 5th March 2021 and the Letter of PS MOSTI to The PPS to HE the President on the update on equipment dated 21 December 2020.
The details of the funds released to MOSTI out of the budgeted 31 Bn is as follows;
It should be noted that vaccine research was one of the four categories funded in the budget under Vote 023 to MOSTI. The Vaccine research only had shillings 7.81 Billion in the budget.
It is therefore not true that I personally or through any company that I am alleged to have set up, received any funds directly in my individual capacity, towards the research activities or the development of a local COVID vaccine. These claims are baseless, malicious and should be treated in the contempt they deserve.
I would also like to state that MOSTI also funded some scientists under the National Research and Innovation Program (NRIP). In order not to duplicate funding to the same scientists, MOSTI wrote to me as Senior Presidential Advisor on Epidemics listing the projects funded by MOSTI and requiring us to ensure that there are no projects duplicated and also supported under PRESIDE.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Musenero is the Minister of Science Technology and Innovations
For PART I of this series click here: Dr. MONICA MUSENERO: What is the truth about Uganda’s COVID-19 Vaccine Research? | PART I