I have been keenly watching the Minister of Local Government, Hon. Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi, carrying out anti-corruption operations in West Nile, but really, what has been happening is bad.
I get too disappointed when I read comments from people bringing up issues of the law regarding what Balaam is doing. But really, until when shall we continue pumping money into community projects, only for it to be eaten in that way?
I was disappointed when I saw the kitchen in a certain school which was claimed to have been built at Shs 300 million. There was also a sub-county building in Maracha which was built at a cost of Shs 100 million. Really, there is no value for money.
Honestly speaking, if it were not for Balaam, there would be no way Ugandans would believe that President Museveni has no single problem, but the implementers have the problem.
With what Hon. Balaam is doing to make the community understand that money is being sent to them, there are still some people who cast doubt on what Balaam is doing, claiming the law. But my question is: Was the law silent when these people were embezzling the money?
I would like to advise Minister Balaam that in Africa, if they don’t talk about your name negatively, then you’re dead. So please move on, move on. Ugandans are happy with what you’re doing, and you’re doing it publicly with evidence, not like the Minister of Works, who is now turning out to be a lamenting minister with the intention to fabricate evidence to pin the suspended Ministry of Works officials, which will turn out to be a backlash on him.
The way Minister Byamukama behaves, it’s like the same way his boss, who funded his going through unopposed Anita Among, used to do. You need to have concrete evidence before you make outbursts, and this is what Hon. Balaam is doing.
Thank you so much, our Badman General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, for identifying Balaam for us, and thanks to our Papa, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, for appointing Balaam. In fact, if we had known the importance of Balaam long ago, Uganda would be clean by now.
The writer is a senior veteran journalist.
