President Museveni has said a new chapter has been opened in fighting corruption in the country.
In a missive on Monday afternoon, the president said previously, there has been a soft stance on corruption, adding that this has changed.
Three Members of Parliament including Yusuf Mutembuli (Bunyole East ), Paul Akamba (Busiki County) , and Cissy Namujju (Lwengo District Woman) are currently on remand for asking for kickbacks in order to help increase the budget for the Uganda Human Rights Commisssion.
MPs Michael Mawanda( Igara East), Ignatius Mudimi Wamakuyu(Elgon County), Paul Akamba and lawyer Julius Kirya Taitankonko were also remanded over theft of shs7.3 billion for Buyaka Growers Cooperatives Society Limited.
In his missive, the president said whereas he is not at liberty to comment about the cases of the five legislators, the war on corruption has taken a new twist.
According to Museveni, the officers responsible for money and where corruption begins are Permanent Secretaries, Chief Administrative Officers, town clerks, sub county chiefs and managing directors for parastatals.
“In the constitution, it is these that are responsible for government money, for personnel affairs, for procurement, etc.”
He said previously, civil service jobs were awarded based on merit through competitive exams and it was the reason government never bothered with corruption for a long time, knowing that there are capable people handling money, personnel and procurement.
“We now know that many of them have let us down. We shall, therefore, have to work with victims of this corruption and some patriots to crush this betrayal.”
“ Are the patriots there? Yes. Where is the proof? The 20,000 fighters that attacked Kampala on the 22nd to the 26th of January, 1986, were mainly patriots. Otherwise, why would they do what they did without pay?”
Museveni said corruption among public officials was prevalent in the colonial times and soon after independence and it was the reason he proposed the creation of the Resistance Councils (LCs), believing that people elected by locals
“would guard their interests better than public employees. What has happened? We should examine this more and discuss it. Nevertheless, it is possible to crush corruption through the alliance of patriots (I count myself as one of them) and the victims, the masses. The masses can be encountered in the village barazas, etc. The patriots are to be found in the political leadership, some public servants, the churches, etc.”
Museveni said with shs10 trillion lost to corruption per year, this can be reversed.
Therefore, the thieves are parasites that must be stamped out, and the indisciplined are saboteurs of our fast development and must also be stopped. This year, our economy grew by 6%. It will grow in double digits if we stamp out thieves and the indisciplined.
