Security to lead anti-graft war as Museveni seeks new tactics
President Museveni greets State minister for Planning David Bahati during the closure of the Cabinet retreat at Kyankwanzi last year. When the president was swearing in members of his Cabinet after getting re-elected in 2016, he promised that each of the ministers would get clear terms of reference and performance targets. File photo
What you need to know:
- Claim. Mr Tumwebaze says many scandals were in the past unearthed by government through intelligence and handed over to the anti-corruption agencies for prosecution.
Kampala.
After years of fending off criticism for “paying lip service” to the fight against corruption, President Museveni has now tasked the Security minister, Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde, to join the fight against graft in a new term he dubbed: Kisanja Hakuna Mchezo, meaning a term of no games.
Although Ms Irene Mulyagonja, the Inspector General of Government, will not be required to report to Gen Tumukunde owing to the constitutionality of her office, the just concluded Cabinet retreat in Kyankwanzi resolved that the Security docket takes the lead in the fight against corruption.
Daily Monitor understands that on account of underfunding and inadequate staff, ministers, permanent secretaries and members of NRM’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) unanimously agreed that the IGG lacks capacity to fight corruption, one of the structural bottlenecks to Mr Museveni’s middle income dream and service delivery.
Sources told Daily Monitor from Kyankwanzi on Sunday that the President proposed that Internal Security Organisation (ISO) and External Security Organisation (ESO), all under Lt Gen Tumukunde’s watch, lead the “ new war” against corruption as IGG builds capacity.
Motive
The argument of Cabinet is that IGG is “too thin and vulnerable” to cope with the speed and volume of work. The President told Cabinet that the Security docket has a detailed structure up to the grassroots and is best placed to track the culprits.
According to sources, Ms Lydia Wanyoto, the chairperson of the Women League, said NRM’s popularity plummeted in the February polls largely because of government’s lip service to the fight against graft.
The head of Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda, Ms Cissy Kagaba, yesterday cited “duplication of roles” and complained that what ministers call “the new approach” to the fight against corruption could weaken the IGG’s office.
“Tumukunde’s men and women in ISO and ESO will not succeed where IGG failed unless there is political will to fight corruption,” Ms Kagaba said.
“Duplication of roles is what is killing mandated institutions like IGG. If the IGG has failed to deliver, the solution is not to weaken the directorate but to increase its funding,” she added.
“We welcome the President’s tough talk and commend him. However, unless the talk translates into ridding the nation of impunity that has increased corruption, it will only remain on paper,” Ms Kagaba said.
Tumwebaze defends
The Information and ICT minister, Mr Frank Tumwebaze, yesterday defended Cabinet decision to involve security agencies in the fight against graft and disparaged government critics as “unserious” because they are the same people accusing government of lacking political will to fight corruption.
“Internal Security Organisation is there to carry out intelligence on the country’s threats and corruption is one of them. So if ISO uncovers corruption syndicates and alerts the IGG who has prosecutorial powers under the law, what’s wrong with that?” Mr Tumwebaze asked.
Past experience
Information minister Tumwebaze said many scandals were in the past unearthed by government through intelligence and handed over to the anti-corruption agencies (IGG, DPP, CIID) for prosecution. He cited the pension scheme and global fund scams among such scandals.
“Intelligence helps to uncover evidence that IGG or DPP can use to successfully secure convictions of suspects. Short of this acquittals will always carry the day and this has been the challenge. Weak evidence, weak prosecution and therefore no sanctions against the corrupt,” he said.
