Robert Kasande, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice, has issued an apology following the release of the Auditor General’s report detailing a controversial diversion of funds.

The report revealed that 85 billion shillings was redirected to unplanned compensation activities despite an initial allocation of only 187 million shillings.

In defense of his actions, PS Kasande claimed the funds were needed to settle arrears for unpaid compensation, a justification not accepted by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), led by MP Muwanga Kivumbi.

Kasande further disclosed severe financial constraints affecting operations, noting that only 131 billion shillings of the 482 billion requested for the compensation of 23,000 cattle claimants had been secured for the 2024-25 financial year.

He added that just 1.7 billion of the 30.2 billion needed for court awards and human rights compensation was allocated in the current fiscal year, contributing to delays in the compensation process.

Additionally, he highlighted significant staffing shortages in the ministry as a major impediment to effective operations.

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