Prime
IGG builds cell for corruption suspects
Launched. Finance minister Matia Kasaija (right) with other officials commission the construction of the Inspectorate of Government Towers in Kampala yesterday. PHOTO BY RACHEL MABALA
What you need to know:
- Justification. The government Ombudsman says the holding cells will help the institution to cut costs of transporting suspects to and from police.
- According to the minister, some officials in abuse of their offices have amassed wealth which they in turn register in other names of their relatives and spouses.
Kampala. The Shs70b Inspectorate of Government (IG) towers, whose construction started yesterday, will have a detention facility for corrupt officials as a measure to improve investigations.
The Inspector General of Government (IGG), Justice Irene Mulyagonja, said the holding cells would help the institution to cut costs of transporting suspects to and from police stations.
“We shall have meeting rooms for investigations and we shall not spend time and resources to move suspects as we wait for court action. We shall also have an exhibit store and a forensic laboratory and a 500-seater-conference hall, among other welfare facilities, on the 15 level building,” Justice Mulyagonja said.
Speaking at the ground breaking ceremony of the building in Kampala, she revealed that once completed in three years, the IG towers would save government more than Shs2.5 billion annually that is spent in rent.
“The construction of the building is timely and responds to the demand at hand. As the IG grows, there will be room for expansion as the capacity requires,” said Justice Mulyagonja, adding that the new facility would improve the security of their work and save their clients from inconvenience.
Presiding at the event, Finance minister Matia Kasaija blamed the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) Act for the delayed construction of the IG towers.
According to the minister, the construction of IG tower was supposed to commence two years ago but was impeded by technicalities in the law.
“We are amending the PPDA Act because it has become more of an obstruction than a facilitation. I am myself a victim of this very law. There was a road construction project in my constituency [Buyanja County], which was delayed for years due to numerous reviews resulting from complaints,” said Mr Kasaija. The minister added: “We are changing this law (PPDA Act) as I speak to curtail on the prolonged procurement processes, which have resulted into delays in implementation of government projects.”
Youth warned
While blaming himself for the delays in the purchase and transfer of the 1.2 acre land from Posta Uganda, a government agency to IG, another agency, Mr Kasaija said the IGG has a huge task of instilling ethics among the youth to save the country of illegalities.
“I want to caution the youth to desist from illegitimate wealth. Go slow while earning money and earn it legally because if you do not, the truth will come out,” he said.
“The returns we present annually to you [IGG] may not be truthful. I may ask you to do more research. We do not prevent young people in public offices from doing private work so long as you do not steal government time and resources,” Mr Kasaija said.
According to the minister, some officials in abuse of their offices have amassed wealth which they in turn register in other names of their relatives and spouses.
Cost. The amount that will be spent on building the IG Towers in Kampala that will also have a 500-seater hall.
