Parliament suspends IRA audit probe pending Solicitor General’s guidance

What the report says

The parliamentary Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) has paused its audit scrutiny of the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) while waiting for legal guidance on who should be treated as the agency’s Accounting Officer. According to Nile Post, the committee voted to suspend the hearing until the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury receives an opinion from the Solicitor General.

The dispute centers on leadership at the regulator, where members raised questions about whether Acting CEO Dr Sande Protazio can legally handle the financial responsibilities of the office without a formal designation. Lawmakers also noted that the matter is complicated by court proceedings involving former CEO Ibrahim Kaddunabi, whose challenge over his exit from the authority is still before the High Court.

Nile Post reports that the committee’s concerns were sharpened by evidence that the court has blocked the board from enforcing its decision not to renew Kaddunabi’s contract and has also restrained recruitment for a new chief executive. Some MPs said the internal dispute made it difficult to continue the probe, while others argued the committee could still hear the audit issues.

The suspension delays examination of audit findings that include a reported Shs33.549 billion construction project with alleged quality problems and Shs3.963 billion paid in advance for software maintenance services said to have gone unused. The committee said it will return to the matter once the Solicitor General’s guidance clarifies who is legally accountable for IRA’s finances.