KAMPALA, UGANDA: The Inspectorate of Government (IG) has ordered the immediate arrest of Mr David Livingstone Ebiru, the Executive Director of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) on allegations of corruption and misuse of office funds.
The warrant of arrest issued by the Deputy IGG Ms Anne Twinomugisha Muhaire on Monday, July 24, said followed Mr Ebiru’s failure to heed summons by the IGG over the same on Friday last week where he was expected to respond to the allegations.
Ms Muhairwe in the warrant said thus; “Whereas Mr David Livingstone Ebiru was ordered to appear before the Inspectorate of Government at 2.00 PM on July 21, 2023, and subsequent days to testify what he knew and or to furnish information about the above-stated inquiry, he has not appeared and has not furnished any information.”
“Now, therefore, you are hereby this warrant ordered to apprehend, bring or have the said Mr David Livingstone Ebiru and brought before the Inspectorate of Government,” the summon adds.
The battled UNBS ED was last week summoned by the Parliament’s Committee on Commissions Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) where he confessed to giving Shs100 million to board members of the National Standards Council (NSC) as a bribe to retain his job.
“I confess that I bribed the board to secure my position. The shs100 million was handed over to one board member for distribution,” Ebiru said.
Two days, the same Ebiru shocked COSASE members when he retracted the statement claiming that the bribery allegations he had levelled against his boss, the Chairperson of the NCS Mr Charles Musekuura plus other members of NCS had been vented out in anger.
However, this was not enough to convince Mr Joel Ssenyonyi, the COSASE Chairperson who insisted that there is even evidence of WhatsApp messages exchanged between the pinned officials.
“What is important is that they have a statement on record, there is evidence of WhatsApp messages, there is an investigation going on by Police, now the IGG. I am hoping this isn’t to say let me retract because the Police and IGG are investigating and that kind of thing. But for you people to work together, that is the most important thing. I don’t want to say to you that by you withdrawing your statement it has erased everything that happened, all that was said and all that happened,” Mr Ssenyonyi said last Friday.
The Committee (COSASE) also learnt that the tail-end of the Committee interface with UNBS leadership that Mr Ebiru and Mr Musekuura alongside others named in the bribery claims had been summoned to appear before the IGG. They were meant to be there by 2 pm on Friday. It has since emerged that Mr Ebiru skipped and did not heed the IGG call.
Mr Ebiru is among other things pinned to have caused a misappropriation of government funds amounting to about Shs12.5 billion and also shielded five staff under his watch who are said to have caused a financial loss of Shs9.28 Billion.
Meanwhile, with Ebiru out of office on forced leave and now facing arrest, The Board of NCS (National Standards Council) which heads the Bureau has since appointed Mr Daniel Richard Makayi Nangalama as the Acting Executive Director of the UNBS.
Mr Nangalama has been serving as the Deputy ED in charge of Management and Financial Services.
Previously, Mr. Daniel Nangalama served as the Deputy Executive Director – Management and Financial Services, responsible for providing strategic leadership and oversight of the directorate through effective and efficient planning, monitoring, coordinating, and implementing UNBS policies and programs.
He had previously worked as the Audit Manager at the Bureau from 2013 to 2016.
Before his appointment, he served as the Chief Internal Auditor at Kyambogo University, accumulating over two decades of experience in both private and public entities. His expertise spans strategy and policy monitoring, internal audit, financial and operations management, primarily within the sectors of tertiary education, energy, quality, and standards regulation.
He holds a Master of Science Degree in Accounting & Finance, a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management, a Certificate in Law (Administrative Officers course), and a Bachelor of Commerce.
Additionally, he has received training in Quality Management Systems (QMS ISO 9001), Corporate Governance for directors and senior managers, Internet security and ethical hacking, Competence-Based Job Evaluation, and Public Finance Reforms, among others. He is a Certified Public Accountant (Uganda and Kenya), Certified Internal Auditor, Certified Information Systems Auditor, and a Certified ISO 31000 Risk Management Professional.
Actively involved in governance responsibilities, Mr. Nangalama serves as a member of the Audit Committee of Inter-University Council of East Africa, the Governing Council of Aduku College of Commerce, and the Board of Finance Mukono diocese.
He also chairs the Board of Governors at Bubulo Secondary School and is a member of Bubulo Girls High School. Additionally, he has served on several professional committees at the Institute of Internal Auditors of Uganda (IIA-Uganda) and Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU).
Throughout his career and voluntary engagements, he has contributed to the establishment of policy frameworks and institutional capabilities in the areas of Governance, Auditing, Risk Management, Financial, and Operations Management.
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