EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES, UNEQUAL BOOKS! EOC Bosses Face Heat Over Shs661M Arrears, Illegal Spending & Rogue Procurements Amidst Contract Expiry
The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), the constitutional body established to fight discrimination and promote fairness for all Ugandans, has found itself on the receiving end of tough scrutiny after the Auditor General uncovered a string of financial management weaknesses ranging from ballooning domestic arrears and unauthorized expenditure to off-budget financing and procurement outside the approved procurement plan.
The findings are contained in the Auditor General’s report on the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) for the financial year covered by the December 2025 audit.
Although the Commission received an unqualified audit opinion, the report identifies several accountability and financial management concerns that place the institution under renewed pressure to explain how public resources were managed.
The Commission is currently chaired by Safia Nalule Jjuuko, who was appointed in April 2021 to replace Sylvia Muwebwa Nabatanzi Ntambi. Other commissioners include Ojok Joel Cox as Vice Chairperson together with Denis Tumusiime, Zaidi Ibrahim Edema and Sr. Mary Wasagali.
Under the Equal Opportunities Commission Act, the Chairperson serves a five-year full-time term and is eligible for one additional term. The current commissioners have now completed their five-year tenure, although it remains unclear whether their appointments have officially been renewed. Reports indicate that some commissioners, including the Chairperson, have been intensively lobbying reappointment.
The Commission was established under Article 32 of the Constitution to eliminate discrimination and inequalities based on sex, age, race, colour, ethnic origin, tribe, religion, disability, health status, political opinion, social or economic standing, while promoting affirmative action for marginalized groups.
However, while the institution is mandated to promote fairness and accountability, the Auditor General’s report suggests its own financial management fell short of expected standards.
The audit reveals that the Commission accumulated domestic arrears amounting to UGX 661,239,429.
Even more worrying, UGX 611,341,782 of those arrears relate to previous financial years.
According to the Auditor General, the outstanding obligations may eventually become bad debts if they remain unsettled, exposing government to avoidable financial losses.
The report further points to expenditure that was charged without the required approvals.
A total of UGX 170 million was charged on inappropriate expenditure items without the necessary authority, raising questions about adherence to financial management procedures and internal controls.
The Auditor General also identified off-budget financing amounting to UGX 457,858,889, contrary to the applicable financial regulations.
Off-budget financing bypasses the approved budgeting process and undermines Parliament’s oversight of public expenditure, making it difficult to ensure that public funds are spent strictly in accordance with approved priorities.
Procurement management also attracted criticism.
The audit found that procurements worth UGX 713,428,056 were undertaken despite not appearing in the Commission’s approved procurement plan.
Failure to procure in accordance with an approved procurement plan weakens transparency and accountability and increases the risk of irregular expenditure.
The report also highlights broader resource constraints affecting the institution.
The Commission’s five-year strategic plan required funding amounting to UGX 144.7 billion.
However, only UGX 81.117 billion, representing 56 percent of the planned resources, was actually provided during implementation.
The funding gap significantly reduced the Commission’s ability to fully execute its strategic objectives and deliver all planned programmes intended to eliminate discrimination and promote equal opportunities across Uganda.
The findings come at a sensitive time for the Commission as the tenure of its leadership reaches its statutory end, with uncertainty still surrounding possible reappointments.
While the Auditor General did not qualify the Commission’s financial statements, the report nevertheless paints a picture of an institution grappling with weak financial controls, mounting arrears, unauthorized expenditure, off-budget financing and procurement practices that fell outside approved plans.
For an institution established to champion accountability, fairness and equal treatment, the audit findings are likely to raise difficult questions about governance and stewardship of public resources.
The Auditor General’s report is expected to intensify pressure on the Commission’s leadership and accounting officers to explain how domestic arrears accumulated to more than UGX 661 million, why UGX 170 million was charged without the necessary authority, how nearly UGX 458 million was spent through off-budget financing contrary to regulations, why procurements worth more than UGX 713 million were undertaken outside the approved procurement plan, and how the institution intends to strengthen financial discipline while continuing to fulfil its constitutional mandate.
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