Makerere University 87th guild house is currently split apart over 35 Uganda million shillings that were allegedly misused during the GRC tour to Tanzania.
GRC(s) went for a tour to Tanzania earlier last month (March) with an intent of creating peaceful engagement in conflict resolution; and little did they know that conflict awaited them back at home.
Some leaders are not satisfied with the expenditure in comparison to the money that was allocated to the trip with quite a number accusing the minister of external affairs Oweneema Olivia for having used the money to satisfy her interests.
What exactly happened?
1. Leaders went for a trip without enough funds.
2. 35 million was withdrawn from the guild finance to bail out the leaders in Tanzania.
3. The finance minister wasn’t informed about the withdraw until the end of the trip.
4. The University pledged to return the money back to the guild finance.
5. The GRC(s) are not satisfied with the expenditure.
Olivia Oweneema, Minister of External affairs, says the accusations of misappropriation are politically motivated. Olivia says she took 130 student leaders to Tanzania, having to spend heavily on their transportation, food, Covid-19 testing and hotel fees.
Despite getting financial aid of about 22 million from the East African secretariat and 35 million from the university, Olivia says the funds were not enough as she had to touch into her own pocket to facilitate the trip. According to Olivia, she spent over 60 million on the trip.
One of the leaders in the 87th house (identity withheld) told the Bee that Olivia spent not as much as she claims. The source revealed that the leaders got free fuel from the UPDF and parliament, fended their own Covid-19 testing at all boarder points leaving Olivia to only foot the hotel and feeding costs.
“You can clearly see when money is being spent. The way the money was spent wasn’t to the satisfaction of the house,” the source said.
However, Olivia Oweneema refutes all these accusations saying that she spent the money on its rightful cause. Besides, she says she already accounted for the expenditure.
Olivia says the accusations are ‘manufactured’ by her political rivals; and since the next guild elections are next door, she isn’t surprised.
