The Inspector General of Government Justice Irene Mulyagonja has failed to name corrupt officials that she said were hiding behind president Museveni.
Now emerging reports indicate the Museveni is scouting for her replacement.
Mulyagonja made the statement early this month following president Museveni’s attack on her office during the State of the National Address (SONA), faulting her for the escalating cases of corruption in the country.
Museveni has since then instituted a parallel anti-corruption committee squad led by former Secretary General of Uganda National Teachers Union (UNATU) James Tweheyo, Captain Martha Asiimwe and Sister Akiror. The President said the new team has been directed to provide their phone numbers to the public. The public is encouraged to report any corruption cases that come to their attention to the unit.
Museveni said he decided to form a separate committee to receive corruption complaints after establishing that the poor performance of the inspectorate. “What happened to the IGG? Why don’t the victims of corruption report those incidents to the office of the IGG? That was the purpose of that office; to protect the public from corrupt officials; to protect the investors against corrupt officials,” Museveni said on June 6 while delivering the SONA.
During the event held at the Serena International Conference Centre, Museveni questioned the credibility of the IGG’s staff. “Are her staff credible? Why does the public not trust that institution? We need answers”, he said. But those questions angered the IGG who in an effort to defend her slowness in catching corrupt officials said some were so much close to the president.
Asked recently why she has failed to name a single individual hiding behind Museveni to carry out corrupt officials as she alleged, said the inspectorate was doing its works to combat corruption in the country.
At the announcement of anti-corruption committee in state house, Mulyagonja said the committee would help catch the thieves around the president.
Reports say Justice Mulyagonja has told parliament she won’t seek for another term of office, having been appointed to that post in on April 12, 2012.
As Justice Mulyagonja prepares to leave office, the public is anxiously waiting whether she will release the report on the investigation of the former Bank of Uganda director of supervision Justine Bagyenda who is alleged to have amassed wealth through improper means.
Meanwhile Museveni seems to be determined to fight corruption and inefficiency in his government. The latest is the Board of directors of the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) to decision to suspend the executive director, Jolly Kaguhangire, over allegations of corruption and mismanagement of the authority.
She was suspended for three months, according to a letter dated June 26 and signed by Emely Kugonza, the UIA board chairman.
Basil Ajer, a director in charge of SMEs will act as Executive Director in this period. Kaguhangire was appointed in April 2017 and in this short period she has had a torrid time. She has been accused of abuse of office, tribalism, insubordination and a litany of other charges. It should be remembered that Museveni launched a hotline in UIA to be used by the public and investors to report corrupt officials. The soldiers were to manage the hotline.
Museveni also in a surprise twist of events in March made a statement by sacking former Inspector of Police Gen. Kale Kayihura who now is in the hands of the military. Kayihura is in custody with police operatives who were so close to him and were considered as untouchable. They face several charges in the General Court Martial.
There is also reported sacking of Uganda’s Standard Gauge Railway project coordinator Kasingye Kyamugambi because of incompetence as well as corruption related cases. Analysts say the president is not happy with the slow implementation of the project.
In March this year Museveni ordered for the suspension of the Director for Citizenship and Immigration Control, Godfrey Sasaga and the Commissioner for Immigration, Anthony Namara after security investigations revealed that foreign operatives used Ugandan passports to deport Rwandan asylum seekers in Uganda. There was also alleged fraud by the officials in the procurement of e-passports.
In August 2017, Museveni fired former fired the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, Dr. Stephen Isabalija, a decision analysts said was based on the messy handling of the procurement process for the oil refinery lead developer could have played a hand in Isabalija’s sacking. Mr. Isabalija was only 10 months old into the job, after replacing the long serving Fred Kabagambe Kaliisa during a reshuffle of Permanent Secretaries in November last year. Kabagambe Kaliisa is now a Senior Presidential Advisor on Oil and Gas.
Analysts have told this website that more top government executives stand to lose their jobs as there is a clandestine operation on-going to clean the civil service of corrupt and inefficient officers who Museveni thinks are failing his campaign pledges despite being allocated resources to do the their work. During his inauguration he said his term of office would be that of hard work (Kisanja Hakuna Mchezo).