Kampala — The Parliamentary committee on natural resources has refused to sanction the Government's proposal to borrow $370m (about sh740b) for the rural electrification project.

The Government plans to use the money to extend power to 25% of the population, up from the current 6%. The project, it is expected, will reduce pressure on forests for wood fuel.

The MPs declined to rubber stamp the proposal, demanding accountability for the previous similar projects. This is the second loan proposal brought to Parliament in the last month that has been rebuffed for lack of accountability of previous projects.

Last month, MPs sent the ICT ministry back to the drawing board, demanding accountability of the first phase of the national backbone and e-government infrastructure project, before allowing Government to borrow an additional $61m (about sh120b). The first phase cost $30m (about sh60b).

The MPs are right to act the way they did. Official corruption, more than incompetence, has caused many Government projects not to deliver value for money.

That is regrettable because the Government, through effective spending on public goods such as education and health services, infrastructure and security, could lift this country out of the poverty.

For every shoddy road work, classroom, or hospital building paid for, many Ugandans see their hope of rising out of poverty fading.

It would be interesting if we did a value-for-money audit on the hundreds of millions of dollars that have been poured into this country to see whether the donor largesse has resulted into the desired outcome.

The waste, misappropriation and downright theft may shock the worst psychopath.

The MPs should keep up the fight, query every loan, scrutinise every project and nitpick over every expenditure. After all, a loan misspent will be an additional burden to carry for their children and grandchildren.