Prime
Don’t pick corrupt ministers, donors advise Museveni
Tamale Mirundi says envoys cannot order President.
Envoys accredited to Uganda have reportedly asked President Museveni not to include former ministers, who are cited in corruption scandals, to his new Cabinet.
A source that attended the meeting between the President and the envoys at Entebbe State House last Saturday, but preferred anonymity because he lacks capacity to speak freely, told Saturday Monitor that the envoys were concerned about the level of corruption in government, asking him to consider dropping those implicated in the scandals.
“The President reassured them his commitment to fight impunity but he also asked them not to be misled by the opposition, especially (Dr. Kizza) Besigye,” said a source.
Dr. Besigye is the president of the Forum for Democratic Change party that came second in the presidential elections in February this year.
Mr Museveni met foreign diplomats accredited to Uganda and urged them not to support the opposition leader. He is reported to have said that Besigye is indisciplined.
The President is reported to have assured his guests that his government was prepared to fight impunity through legal means. The source further said that countries from Europe were concerned about governance issues in Uganda but Mr Museveni told them to understand the history of Uganda.
Yesterday, Presidential Press Secretary Tamale Mirundi said even though the meeting took place, envoys have no capacity to question President Museveni when he has put in place several initiatives geared towards fighting corruption.
“It’s not true that anybody commanded the President on that issue, the President is clear on corruption. The Europeans didn’t tell him to create PAC and the President said in Rwakitura that Parliament has no powers to forgive anybody. He is now happy that relevant authorities have since taken on these investigations” Mr Mirundi said.
Several of President Museveni’s ministers have been cited in reports investigating corruption allegations, including the failure to account for over Shs500 billion meant to host Chogm in 2007.
A parliamentary inquiry led by the Pubic Accounts Committee into how the Chogm funds were spent found that some ministers, including the Vice President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, Foreign Affairs minister Sam Kuteesa, Works and Transport minister John Nasasira and Security Minister Amama Mbabazi were faulted for causing financial loss.
Beautification mess
PAC also found Ms Hope Mwesigye, then junior minister of Local Government, for financial losses in beautification of Kampala.
However, the ministers appeared before the PAC and denied the accusation while the 8th Parliament cleared the ministers of any wrong doing.
But the Inspectorate of Government has said investigations into the Chogm procurement are underway. Deputy Principal Secretary to the President Kintu Nyago dismissed donors’ reports as farfetched, saying: “The President doesn’t consult any Embassy or High Commission when making Cabinet and just like their countries don’t consult him when posting them here. That issue never occurred instead it was the president assuring his Ambassadors what was good for Uganda,” Mr Nyago said.
