governance 30 August 2026 The Observer (Uganda)
Accounting Officers Face Personal Liability for Mismanagement, Ggoobi Warns
Ugandan accounting officers will now be held personally responsible for unauthorized spending and poor quality of public services. Finance Ministry Permanent Secretary Ramathan Ggoobi announced stricter enforcement of budget execution rules, demanding costed designs and feasibility studies for all new government projects. Source: https://observer.ug/news/accounting-officers-to-be-personally-held-liable-on-unathorised-spending-quality-of-service-ggoobi
Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Ramathan Ggoobi, has declared a new era of accountability for government officials. Speaking at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Ggoobi informed accounting officers that projects will only be admitted into the Public Investment Plan if they are accompanied by costed designs and credible feasibility studies. This move aims to curb the historical issue of projects undergoing expensive mid-implementation changes due to initial oversights.
“There are projects where I have seen people trying to update designs when they never had feasibility studies. They never had designs that were costed, and now they have to change midway. These rules are also meant to protect you as government officers,” Ggoobi stated.
The government is also tightening controls on recruitment, with a strict ‘no wage provision, no recruitment’ policy. Ggoobi emphasized that any hiring must be based on approved wage allocations, a costed recruitment schedule, and explicit written clearance from the Ministry of Public Service. This follows a recent payroll audit that exposed significant wage management challenges, including instances where institutions exceeded approved staff numbers despite government providing Shs 350 billion to address shortfalls.
Accounting officers found to be creating financial obligations outside approved establishments will face personal accountability. Ggoobi pledged that the Finance Ministry would ensure timely budget releases and continued technical support. Head of Public Service, Lucy Nakyobe, underscored that public perception of government performance is directly tied to the quality of services delivered, not just allocated funds. She warned against corruption, misuse of funds, inflated procurements, and fictitious payments, urging officers to strengthen internal controls and focus on measuring program outcomes and impact on citizens’ lives.
Nakyobe also expressed concern over institutions failing to utilize allocated funds, stating that such entities would be investigated and future allocations would consider resource absorption capacity. She called for a focus on quality service delivery, particularly in critical sectors like healthcare and education, reminding officials that “Value for money must guide every expenditure decision.”