President Yoweri Museveni has lashed out at the educated public servants, saying some of them are involved in perpetuating corruption and that if caught they will be exposed and dealt with according to the law.
According to Mr. Museveni, the recent arrest of his Minister of State for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations Herbert Kabafunzaki is just a tip of the iceberg in his fight against corruption.
“Now we have started to open a war against them, those who have been arrested are ndozo.. okuloza..jaribu …. (A taste of what is to come), you will see what comes next. All those involved in corruption will be arrested. You should also help us and report them. You have also been the problem you just keep quite. When you report work becomes easy, we arrest them quickly,” he said.
The President was yesterday addressing journalists from the ten districts of Busoga as he wrapped up his three-day community mobilization tour of Mayuge district where he also commissioned a new State Lodge and a Presidential Demonstration Farm in Kityerera Subcounty.
The tough talking Museveni defended government’s slow response to previous corruption cases saying the vice has become complex with educated people in public offices making it almost impossible to pin them without evidence.
“From the beginning, NRM has been fighting corruption. Some things we did quickly because they could be seen. There used to be roadblocks by the army to rob people, we removed them. The theft that remained is with the educated people. Earlier the corruption was by the army men who used to rob people, kill animals in national parks of government but we fought those and stopped them. Now the educated people in offices are the problem. We first trusted them…Amin’s government had some illiterate people and when we came in we thought the educated in civil service know what to do but they are the problem,” he said.
The President said he established the four-acre farm in Kityerera to work closely with the people to transform them from traditional to modern agro production to ensure food security and income generation.
Kityerera village has 4000 homesteads out of who only 200 are engaged in productive farming.
“This commitment must be realised because there are many life demands today in every home”, he said.
He urged the people to engage in cost effective enterprises such as coffee, fruits, poultry, piggery and zero grazing that are profitable for farmers who are on small land holdings.
Mr. Museveni instructed agricultural extension workers to sensitise people in sugarcane growing areas not to grow sugarcane on land less than six acres saying it is not cost effective.
The President also directed the Ministry of Agriculture to carry out research into crop pests including the fall army-worm and the threat to pineapples in Kayunga.
When asked what he thinks about skeptics who undermine his efforts to fight poverty at the grass roots, President Museveni drew on a Kinyankole saying “Ezimbire akatama tezibira ezindi kurya” (A cow with a sick cheeks does not stop others from chewing)
“Those who laugh at our efforts to fight poverty will be ashamed. For us, we shall continue. Those who learn will laugh last,” he said.
