Budadiri West MP Nathan Nandala Mafabi has reached an agreement with the Institute of Certified Public Accounts of Uganda -ICPAU which will see his application for a practicing certificate considered and his name included in the new council members.
This effectively brings to a stop a legal showdown that was about to play out between the accountants’ regulator and Mafabi, one of the most respected auditors in the country.
Mafabi ran to high court early this month when the accountant’s body refused to renew his practicing certificate and that of his company MTC Associates for 2020. ICPAU accused Mafabi of not applying for the renewal on time although Mafabi said all his applications were submitted on time.
This effectively meant that Mafabi was not eligible to practice accountancy this year. Mafabi accused ICPAU of declaring him a quack accountant despite having practised the trade for more than two decades.
Also, despite participating in the elections for new council members in which he emerged with more votes than all the participants, and coming up on top, Mafabi was not listed as a member because he had no practicing certificate. Instead, Ronald Mutumba, Gloria Tuhaise Wakooba, Prof. Laura Orobia, Constant Othieno Mayende, Geoffrey Byamugisha, Josephine Okui Okwakol Ossiya and Stephen Ineget constituted the council.
Now in a consent order approved by the high court civil division, the seven-member new council will not work until Mafabi’s name is included. Also, according to the order, the ICPAU council that was constituted for a term of July 2018 and June 2020 (outgoing council) will continue working, pending the final constitution of the new council and the election of the president and vice president of accounts body.
“The outgoing council is hereby authorized to convene council meetings and consider all matters that are by law under the mandate of the council, including applications for membership and practice certificates and licenses,” Court said.
This will see Mafabi and MTC Associates’ applications for a practicing certificate be considered soonest. ICPAU has also agreed to contribute to the payment of Mafabi’s legal costs with the parties expected to agree on the amounts payable.