Museveni advises government agencies to recruit based on integrity, not papers

The chief walker, President Museveni addresses people at Kololo grounds after the anti corruption walk. PHOTO BY DAVID LUBOWA

What you need to know:

  • Motorists heading to the city centre from Wandegeya were also diverted to Nakasero Road while Nile Avenue was also restricted and motorists diverted at Speake Road.

  • In some places, Boda Boda cyclists also hiked the transport costs.

President Museveni on Wednesday advised government agencies to base on integrity and not academic papers when recruiting staff.

According to Mr Museveni, one of the things failing his government’s efforts against corruption was poor supervision.

“Do not recruit people on basis of papers but look for integrity; that is common in URA, IGG and State House anti-corruption unit. Maybe in judiciary, army and civil service. Those ones we need the papers,” Mr Museveni said while addressing Ugandans at Kololo Airstrip after his march against corruption in Kampala.

Mr Museveni also said he is rich yet he has never stolen public funds like most wealthy public servants.

"People are parasites because they feed on what they have not worked for. They should know that corruption is a spiritual problem. The deputy speaker has just challenged you that let he who has never stolen throw the first stone. I will throw the first stone, I have never stolen and I am rich," he added.

According to Mr Museveni, obesity among some public servants was also a sign of corruption.

“I have decided to cut weight. I was 106kgs, now I am now 76kgs. I think obesity is also a sign of corruption,” Mr Museveni said.

Mr Museveni also lauded the Daily Monitor newspaper for unearthing corruption cases in the country.

"I sometimes read useless papers like the Monitor, by the way Monitor is a bad paper. I rarely read papers but once in a while when I read them and I see something, I follow it up. So there was a story I read and I tasked my monitoring unit to follow up and indeed they uncovered a lot of corruption. One of the things failing us in this war against corruption is poor supervision," he said.

During President Museveni’s anti-corruption walk from Constitution Square to Kololo Airstrip, transport within Kampala city centre was paralysed. The walk is aimed at intensifying the fight against corruption. 

The walk led by Mr Museveni started at around 8.30 am from the Constitution Square to Kololo Ceremonial Grounds where the main event took place.

He was accompanied by ministers, Members of Parliament, members of civil society organizations and religious leaders among others.

The walk however paralyzed traffic in the central business district and other parts of the town.


Several roads in the central business district were closed forcing many motorists to abandon their vehicles and resorted to walking. All motor cycles were also not allowed to go beyond the cut off points.

Major roads leading to the city centre were blocked by military and police. The usually busy Kampala and Jinja roads were empty of cars while businesses on the roads were closed.

Motorists heading to the city centre from Wandegeya were also diverted to Nakasero Road while Nile Avenue was also restricted and motorists diverted at Speake Road.

In some places, Boda Boda cyclists also hiked the transport costs.

Mr Erias Ssembatya, a resident of Bwaise said he was charged Shs4,000 to town yet he normally pays Shs3,000.

Some travellers from Banda to the city centre were also being charge Shs10,000 as compared to the usual Shs4,000 on a boda boda.