How corruption fight became a glossy public relations exercise

The first quarter of Calendar Year 2023 had two running stories inside Parliament, investigation into the operations of the National Social Security Fund and the distribution or misappropriation of iron sheets intended for Karamoja. The NSSF inquiry took no prisoners. Even those asked to step aside, and these were not few, the Minister, Board Chair, Management and for some reason they also asked the former MD to step aside (from what?) all staying put.

One of the innocent offences were committed by Board members who left early before the end of their terms with severance packages worth about Shs 300 million or about $75,000. An exasperated former Board member who resigned to allow the Board to conform to the new composition provided for in the law, said he took the money because at age 46, he needed it. He was just unhappy that URA ended up with Shs 125 million in taxes on this amount. Board members and top managers normally leave office with golden parachutes, this one may have been painted red rather than yellow.

But the abbreviated inquiry left the real issues surrounding the solvency of NSSF to a forensic audit whose cost is estimated at Shs 1.5 billion. After the Paris Club forgave its debtors billions of dollars in debt in 2008, freshly wiped off the slate countries went to great lengths to accumulate new debt, China, Turkey and even India provided some of this expensive cash and are less willing to forgive these debts, many of which are asset backed, the real bacon, cash cows, airports, ports, prime properties and favourable terms at the central bank.

The Chinese have cut such good terms on their second landing in Africa, they are so cool and quiet about it, leaving the Americans and the British to rail against these unfavourable terms. For the African leaders, the political cost was very low. When they go to western capitals begging, they are overwhelmed with cat-calls, promises to go slow on the opposition and dismantle corruption rackets or end money laundering.

At home entities similar to NSSF have also fueled this debt spike by investing heavily in domestic treasuries. This permissive game allowed NSSF to post miraculous returns to its shareholders until the game started running in reverse. The price of the long term bonds has begun to fall, with the market skeptical governments like ours will be able to honour 17.5 percent interest rate returns in the long run on say the 20 year note. 

The Tanzanian president last week laughed at one of her neighbours, she said they are running low on cash.

In Kenya, Parliament is up in arms having found the treasury empty after the departure of the last administration.

Back to the home theater, there is so much on the internet on iron sheets intended for Karamoja, you would think a master blueprint to construct housing estates in Karamoja had failed.

No, it was the usual, high on poverty content intervention to encourage the Karamojong to live in settled communities by giving up high value, more eco-friendly grass thatched huts which could do something for tourism for iron sheets. Even by Ugandan standards which are not very high, some parts of the country are still administered like colonies. The two ministers in charge of Karamoja, a school teacher and former broadcaster are accused of doing what is tradition in politics, sharing the bacon with their people.

For insurance purposes, they sent thank you chits to other officials, the Ministers at Finance all got some iron sheets, so did key policy ministers, East African Affairs, Agriculture etc. One wonders how vote-rich Karamoja up to now does not have a single full cabinet minister to coordinate government efforts across government. 

And then Prime Minister Nabbanja and her people committed another slight, giving away the mabaati before the torrential rains set in, removing all the shine from her colleague Hillary Obaloker Onek, the Disaster Preparedness Minister. Hon. Onek is really unhappy, and is smiling seeing his colleagues trip and fall in the disaster docket.

Mr Ssemogerere is an Attorney-At-Law and an Advocate. 

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