The Swedish Embassy in Kampala has confirmed withdrawing funding to International Alert Uganda office, an international non-governmental organisation with operations in Uganda, over financial mismanagement.
Started in 1987, International Alert, operates in communities affected by conflicts and focuses on peace building activities.
Johan Bergtgveist, the deputy head of cooperation at the Swedish Embassy, said the Swedish International Development Agency, the Democratic Governance Facility, Irish Aid and United Kingdom’s Department for International Development stopped funding International Alert in October following a forensic audit which unearthed massive financial mismanagement.
“We conducted a forensic audit, which revealed a number of issues with financial mismanagement, leading to the conclusion that our funds were not being used in a responsible way and we decided to phase out and close the programme,” he said.
Sources say, part of the fund misuse was reflected in the NGO’s decision to sometimes sponsor staff weddings and burials of staff and their relatives, and that whoever attended such events was paid per diem and transport refund, which was reportedly accounted for as stakeholder engagement.
In December 15 e-mail communication from Ms Harriet Lamb, the International Alert chief executive officer, to the Kampala office, confirming the withdrawal of donors, and also acknowledging the closure of the Kampala office.
