Makerere University secretary Charles Barugahare was responsible for the embarrassing gown scandal which marred this year's 70th graduation ceremony vice-chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe has revealed.
According to Nawangwe, internal investigations show that Barugahare flouted several procurement guidelines when he awarded a procurement contract to Team Uniform Ltd, a private firm to supply 13,500 gowns for this year's graduation in January.
The contractor only managed to deliver 6,383 gowns, 900 caps and 6,792 hoods a few days to the event triggering panic among graduands who had already paid for the gowns. Makerere had managed to collect up to Shs 1.3 billion from the 13,500 graduands for the patented gowns.
Even the few gowns that were delivered were insufficient with some lacking hoods or caps. The university ran to local tailors in Wandegeya to provide additional gowns and save the institution's embarrassment. This prompted the university management to institute investigations to understand what had gone wrong.
Now, Nawangwe says investigations have pinned Barugahare for the mess. He says the investigation team found Barugahare guilty of flouting several procurements guidelines.
"The accounting officer did not seek the solicitor general's approval of the draft contract document in contravention of regulation 1 (1) of the PPDA (Contracts) Regulations, 2014 and Statutory Instrument No. 97 of 2014," Nawangwe quotes findings of investigating team.
According to Nawangwe, internal investigations show that Barugahare flouted several procurement guidelines when he awarded a procurement contract to Team Uniform Ltd, a private firm to supply 13,500 gowns for this year's graduation in January.
The contractor only managed to deliver 6,383 gowns, 900 caps and 6,792 hoods a few days to the event triggering panic among graduands who had already paid for the gowns. Makerere had managed to collect up to Shs 1.3 billion from the 13,500 graduands for the patented gowns.
Even the few gowns that were delivered were insufficient with some lacking hoods or caps. The university ran to local tailors in Wandegeya to provide additional gowns and save the institution's embarrassment. This prompted the university management to institute investigations to understand what had gone wrong.
Now, Nawangwe says investigations have pinned Barugahare for the mess. He says the investigation team found Barugahare guilty of flouting several procurements guidelines.
"The accounting officer did not seek the solicitor general's approval of the draft contract document in contravention of regulation 1 (1) of the PPDA (Contracts) Regulations, 2014 and Statutory Instrument No. 97 of 2014," Nawangwe quotes findings of investigating team.
"Management has to take action to ensure that the unfortunate incident does not reoccur," says Nawangwe.
He has tasked the implicated officer for his own account of the processes undertaken during the procurement of a contractor for supply of graduation gowns from 2015 and show cause why disciplinary action shouldn't be taken against him.
All along Makerere was procuring the said gowns from local tailors from Wandegeya until 2017 when they decided to contract as a sole supplier so as to provide the patented graduation gowns to the graduands.
All along Makerere was procuring the said gowns from local tailors from Wandegeya until 2017 when they decided to contract as a sole supplier so as to provide the patented graduation gowns to the graduands.
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