Karamoja iron sheets: Time for govt to show will in ending corruption

Executives of our land have been on the spot for allegedly diverting iron sheets that were procured to support the vulnerable groups, institutions and reformed warriors in Karamoja sub-region.
Authorities confirm that three institutions are investigating matters surrounding the alleged acquisition of iron sheets by ministers, a clear red flag that raises an alarm that the relief items could have been mismanaged.
From Gavi funds, Temangalo and NSSF, this is among the many scandals that have seen leaders accumulate wealth at the expense of the majority poor.

The painful bit about the scandal is hearing that leaders could have chosen to use relief items meant for those in dire need, for their luxurious needs.
Selfish purposes could be the appropriate word to describe the acts of an individual who uses iron sheets meant for the needy, to roof shelter for their livestock. Some lawmakers are said to be having piles of iron sheets rusting in their compounds.
This pushes us to question whether government should keep trusting resources with politicians who seem to have a mission of enriching themselves at the expense of the poor.

The level of abuse that pushes leaders to share public properties in a WhatsApp group pushes us to imagine what happens in the background that never ends up in the media. If some public officials can steal 32-gauge iron sheets from the Karimojong, I wonder what else they are capable of taking from the sub-region. Are the Karimojong’s minerals, cattle and land safe?
The mineral rich sub-region has always grappled with many problems, including insecurity, which has many times been linked to food insecurity. That some government officials could have misappropriated relief items meant for a region whose instability has impacted the north and eastern parts of the country should be investigated and culprits prosecuted. 

Of the many problems that Karamoja is facing, you wonder how someone came to the conclusion that people who could probably need a water irrigation project, market and medicine for their cattle, ended up receiving iron sheets.
The countless misplaced priorities that we see in Uganda should never be taken lightly. We cannot rule out the fact that someone who probably wanted shelter for his cattle mooted the idea of iron sheets being procured, so that it would later be diverted.
We would have a ray of hope in the current leadership if people caught in such a scandal stepped down from office and allowed investigations to be carried out. But many of our leaders lack such integrity. Instead, they will keep moving around in their guarded convoys.

We should be concerned.  How many of our leaders still have some integrity left in them? Integrity in leadership means having strong moral principles, standing by your words, and doing the right thing.
A person capable of stealing from the poor has no integrity left in them. Some of our leaders have turned our country into a burrow of scandals.  
Moving forward, government must show the will to end corruption. All those accused of corruption must be investigated and those found guilty must be relieved of their duties immediately. 
The law under the Anti-Corruption Act of forfeiting illegally accumulated wealth should also be implemented.

Milly Nassolo is as lawyer and human rights activist.  @Milly_nassolo