I want to commend the efforts by State organs established to fight against corruption in our mighty Uganda. My special thanks go to the President of the Republic of Uganda, General Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, for establishing structures with the responsibility of fighting corruption, such as the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, the Inspectorate of Government and many others.
Well, I do appreciate the way the State House Anti-Corruption Unit moves quickly and makes things clear to the public. I would also request the office of the Inspectorate of Government to do the same. I personally feel the IGG is not doing its work as it is mandated.
When you look at the IGG, it is an independent constitutional office that leads the fight against corruption, enforces ethical leadership, and promotes administrative justice.
Its role is to investigate, arrest, or prosecute individuals or public officials linked to embezzlement, abuse of office, and graft. However, to me, I have realised that the IGG seems to have bent this without knowing that it is getting compromised.
I am challenging the IGG, particularly on the case involving the Ministry of Works. The IGG did two investigations, but no report has been produced, and now again they are doing what they call a forensic audit. Is this not a hidden move to keep people who should already be culprits in office?
In my own opinion, and I am entitled to it, I think the whole IGG investigation is just targeting Mrs Allen Kagina and her team, General Katumba Wamala, and causing the interdiction and dismissal of innocent officers, yet the real people who should have been responsible for the current corruption saga in the Ministry of Works are still in office.
I remember writing my opinion about the corruption in the Office of the Auditor General, and some Ugandans thought I was just being comical, but later on, several officials in the Office of the Auditor General were dismissed. Today, I am writing this and showing that the IGG office also has a problem.
There is no way you can recommend the interdiction and dismissal of officials who are not decision-makers, and you leave the people responsible for designing, preparing bidding documents, and negotiating the costs for road works.
Let’s look at an advert which was run for the position of Commissioner, National Roads.
Ministry/Department:
Ministry of Works and Transport
Post:
Commissioner, National Roads
Scale:
U1SE
Terms of Employment:
ONLY STAFF OF THE FORMER UGANDA NATIONAL ROADS AUTHORITY SHOULD APPLY.
Vacancies:
1
Reference:
HRM 91/153/01 VOL.5
Minimum Age:
35
Maximum Age:
Minimum Qualification:
Applicants should be Ugandans holding an Honours Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering; or any other relevant degree in the field of Civil Engineering plus a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering; or Structural, Bridge, Highway Engineering, or any other Civil Engineering field from a recognised University or Institution. Applicants must have a Post Graduate Diploma in a Management field from a recognised University or Institution. Applicants must be registered with the Engineers Registration Board (ERB).
Working Experience:
Applicants should have a minimum of twelve (12) years of relevant working experience, three (3) of which should have been served at the level of Assistant Commissioner Civil Engineering in Government or an equivalent level of experience from a reputable organisation.
Duties:
The incumbent will be responsible to the Permanent Secretary for performing the following duties:
- Initiating and coordinating the development and review of policies regarding national road development and maintenance;
- Collaborating with international organisations, intergovernmental organisations, agencies of other states, and the private sector on issues related to the development of national roads;
- Planning, designing, and developing the National Road infrastructure;
- Developing and enforcing regulations and policies related to the use and management of national roads;
- Securing and managing funding for the construction and maintenance of national roads;
- Developing, maintaining, controlling, and managing national road reserves and facilities;
- Preparing and implementing annual road maintenance programmes;
- Developing, maintaining, and utilising road asset management systems for national roads;
- Managing the performance and development of supervisees in line with the performance management system;
- Any other duties as may be assigned from time to time.
Now my question to the IGG is: who is occupying that position currently in the Ministry of Works? Why have you not taken interest in interrogating this person holding that office, bearing in mind that he is the one responsible for the delays or stalled completion of the roads? Are you not also showing Ugandans that you are corrupt by keeping such a person to continue discharging his duties, yet he should have moved out to pave way for investigations?
Now, with all that job description, my question is: Are the IGG investigations targeting Mrs Allen Kagina and her team, or is the IGG also trying to play a hide-and-seek game with its investigations, with the move to protect people who are supposed to have been interdicted long ago? Are you also dining with the corrupt with your targeted investigations? Ugandans need that report. Where is it? You did two separate investigations; where is the report?
This is something very serious that I would like to appeal to our President to look into. I would also like to bring to the attention of our “Bad Man,” General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, that the IGG investigations seem to be targeting a small group of innocent people, leaving the whole big team who should be answerable to this corruption.
I am not witch-hunting anyone, but the truth must be put right so that the investigations and punishment are directed at the real culprits.
Mr President, what is happening in the Ministry of Works is similar to what happened to Jesus Christ when they took him with two thieves. Some people preferred Jesus to be killed, yet Jesus was doing the right things, resurrecting the dead, making the lame walk, and making the blind see. But he was killed, and that is what has happened to the dismissed engineers. They were not responsible for designing the road, procuring the contractor, or negotiating the cost, but they have been accused of this, yet the officials responsible for all this, the IGG is bypassing them for unknown reasons. Something must be fishy here.
The writer is a senior veteran journalist.
