OWC operations illegal, says MPs

Kampala. Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) activities are illegal, the parliamentary Committee on Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase), has said.
The committee suggested amendments to the National Agricultural Advisory Services (Naads) Act to incorporate OWC to legalise its activities.
OWC was created in 2013 to improve farmers’ livelihoods.
In its 2018 report tabled this month, the committee also accused OWC of using Naads vehicles for personal use.
“There is no legal relationship between Naads and OWC…thus no legal basis for OWC to engage in Naads activities,” the committee states.
The MPs also said the deputy coordinator of OWC, Lt Gen Charles Angina’s, view that an executive order by President Museveni in 2015 gave OWC legal backing was an “argument of falsehood.”
“The committee also observes the President’s executive order does not give OWC the mandate…These being standing orders cannot amend an Act of Parliament since they are just policy guidelines,” the committee noted
They also questioned Lt Gen Angina’s explanation that OWC is working with the Ministry of the Presidency to legalise its activities.

In the beginning, OWC restricted itself to giving agricultural inputs like seedlings to army veterans in Luweero District and in Rwenzori region. Mr Museveni would later in May 2014 direct Cabinet, which he chairs, to disband NAADS, accusing it of squandering funds for modernisation of agriculture in workshops and salaries.
In June 2014, he said army officers would be deployed in every constituency to ensure food security and commercial farming.
COSASE recommended that the minister of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries should explain to Parliament how NAADS Act was reviewed to incorporate OWC activities in NAADS programmes.
The committee also recommended that the Attorney General, who is the principal legal adviser to government, gives legal guidance on how OWC activities can be legally incorporated into NAADS.
A year ago, Gen Salim Saleh said OWC had registered success in providing agricultural inputs to farmers, value addition and mechanization but cited the challenges namely delivery of low quality of inputs, late delivery, and delivery to wrong agro-ecological zones, land degradation and fragmentation, weak farmer groups, and inflation which are greatly affecting the price of inputs.