Kampala — Controversy has arisen over a $3.9m contract awarded to M/S Cyber School Technology solutions by the ministry of education. This comes two days after donors cut support to the sector over alleged corruption and mismanagement in the sector.

A member of the parliamentary committee on ICT who preferred anonymity told Saturday Monitor that there was influence peddling and conflict of interest in award of the contract and that procurement rules were flouted. The contract, which is worth Shs2b per year and is to run for five years, is meant to ensure the supply and manning of cyber software to enable e-learning at both private and government aided schools.

According to the whistle-blower, the proprietor of the company, Mr Keneth Lubega is the chairman of National Information Technology Authority-Uganda, and MPs on the ICT committee allege that Mr Lubega could have used his influence to win the contract.

"The committee is going to investigate issues of conflict of interest and influence peddling in the manner the contract was given to Cyber School Technology Solutions," said the whistle-blower. "You cannot be a board member of the body which is supposed to regulate ICT services and then you go for contracts. Who is going to supervise you?"

Nita-U is a body tasked with providing guidance and other assistances to IT users and providers of information technology. What MPs contest is that even after spending such a hefty amount on the software, government will not own it as it will remain a product of Cyber School Technologies.

Education ministry spokesperson Aggrey Kibenge said the aggrieved whistle-blower should report the matter to the ministry permanent secretary for it to be investigated.

"I wouldn't know that there was any bribery or conflict of interest in the award of a contract," he said. "The whistle-blower is protected by law so he should feel free to take the matter to the permanent secretary." Saturday Monitor could not get to Mr Lubega as his phone went unanswered.

The Director of Communication in the Ministry of ICT, Dr Godfrey Kibuuka, said he is not aware of such a project, but admitted that giving the contract to a person who sits on the board in Nita-U is conflict of interest, which his ministry "can neither tolerate nor be part of."

"Maybe that was an individual arrangement. In normal circumstances, we can't endorse such a thing," he said. "But as the director of communication I will consult and by Monday [tomorrow] I will have more information on that."

Yesterday, Mr Humphrey Mukoyo, the Education ministry senior information scientist, said he was not aware the contract was awarded. According to information, the first contract, signed on March 26, 2007, worth Shs4.8b was for the supply and delivery of cyber technology solutions software and the second, signed in 2009 was for the provision of digital science software to one hundred pilot schools, to cost Shs6.5 billion.