Corrupt leaders betraying NRM revolution - minister
Milly Babalanda, the minister for the presidency
What you need to know:
Ms Babalanda attributes the practice to lack of patriotism among leaders.
The minister for Presidency, Ms Milly Babalanda, has accused corrupt National Resistance Movement (NRM) officials and members of betraying the cause of the ruling party, which came into power in 1986.
While opening the governance and security steering committee meeting at the Commonwealth Resort, Munyonyo in Kampala yesterday, Ms Babalanda said many NRM leaders are very unpatriotic.
“Many of us who are leaders have failed to read, let alone internalise the four chore principles of NRM and as a consequence, we have become lazy yet we could do things right. These principles and guidelines by President Museveni as the NRM chairperson is the gospel that leads us. These principles are patriotism, Pan Africanism, economic transformation and democracy,” she said.
Different accountability reports have indicated that Uganda loses hundreds of billions of shillings through corruption annually, thus affecting service delivery.
Ms Babalanda yesterday urged the members of the steering committee to rid the country of the vice.
“We are dealing with unpatriotic leaders. It is a betrayal of the great revolution,” she said.
“However the President’s office has made headways in spreading the message of patriotism. In this period we have had so many trainings conducted in this direction. I urge you the committee members to embrace patriotism and renounce acts of theft, negligence and violence,” she added.
The minister also said Ugandans must also embrace pan Africanism and look beyond the country to build markets for their products. She said this is the only way Africa will get out of the vicious cycle of poverty and develop as a continent.
“In Europe and the US, they are talking about modernisation because they are united and if we are united as Africans, we shall develop better. A united Africa is strong and foresighted,” she said.
Ms Babalanda paid tribute to the UPDF soldiers who are battling the ADF rebels in the DR Congo. She also said through working together, terror activities on the continent can be eliminated.
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But Ms Rosette Byengoma, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Defence And Veteran Affairs, told the meeting that while UPDF is doing a commendable job in flushing out the ADF rebels, no funds have been provided for the operations.
Recently after launching the operations, UPDF asked for Shs88 billion for the mission.
Ms Byengoma yesterday said the burden of financing the ADF operations has affected other operations of the ministry.
“Yes, UPDF is out there in DRC, but the problem is that operations are not funded. We end up encroaching on the ministry of Defence budget and we end up with domestic arrears. When it comes to budgeting, domestic arrears are not catered for,” she said.
