President Yoweri Museveni has said he didn’t appoint his head of State House anti corruption unit, Lt. Col. Edith Nakalema to fight the Inspector General of Government but rather help her fight corruption where she had failed.
Museveni said State House ant-corruption team led by Lt. Col. Nakalema is not meant to takeaway the work of the IGG or make it useless, “I appointed it to complement the IGG.”
Adding “When people start complaining of a watchman, then you have to hire a watchman to watch over that watchman and that is why I started and setup units in presidents office to watch over the IGG”.
He noted that it is critical to work with the victims of corruption, in the fight against it to enable them demand for accountability. The victims need to be able to rally support from society to pinpoint and call out corrupt officials.
President Yoweri Museveni, has called for more coordination and strengthening of government systems to support the fight against gripping corruption in the Country.
Museveni remarked during the 9th Commonwealth Regional Conference for Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa held at Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa, Kigo. The conference is held under the theme; Time to Act: Prevent Corruption for Sustainable Development.
At the same time, Mr Museveni used to occasion to introduce Col. Nakalema to the audience.
16 heads of anti corruption agencies are among the 50 international participants present at the #CorruptionFreeAfrica conference to boost collaborative efforts
Museveni implored government officials and other stakeholders to be ideologically patriotic and progressive in ensuring good leadership and service delivery to the people.
He said thorough investigations, prosecution and sentencing of corrupt officers must be done to do away with the vice.
“Corruption is ideological it takes hard work to fight but our people are doing it. You can’t stay in a society where you steal funds and become the only one who is wealthy, living a good life on behalf of others (prosperity for the few) is very dangerous.” He said
Adding “The prosperity for the few in a society of the deprived cannot be sustainable, Emphasis should be put on attaining the betterment of society in the fight against vice. Many of the people in the 3rd world fear to stay in the 3rd world, when they steal money here, they take it to the first world where they feel it’s safer.” He said
Museveni also launched a book called titled ‘Tackling Corruption in CommonWealth Africa with case done in Botswana, Mauritius, Seychelles, Lesotho and Rwanda. The book details various methods of fighting and reducing corruption, a vice manifested in many African countries.
Conversely, the Inspector General of Government (IGG) Justice Irene Mulyagonja, said the theme for the Corruption Free Africa Conference will continue to tackle on how citizens can be given more power in demanding accountability from their leaders a mandate IGG has in Uganda.
“We are also working with various ministries and organizations to build their capacity to handle small and big complaints in order to curb impunity which leads to corruption.”
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanya, said “We have done what we can but we need to do more, “Corruption is everywhere and in our societies, we glorify the corrupt. In Churches, they occupy the front seats because they are going to give more. This must stop.”
