Museveni creates another anti-corruption unit to oversee URA
President Museveni. Inset is David Kalemera, the head of the newly created State House Revenue Intelligence and Strategic Operations Unit
What you need to know:
- Media reports link the leader of the new unit to an April 21, 2022 conviction by the anti-corruption court.
President Museveni has added onto Uganda's many anti-corruption units, establishing a new one particularly charged with reversing a trend of annual multi-billion revenue losses resulting from corruption and inefficiencies at the country's tax body.
“President Museveni has created the State House Revenue Intelligence and Strategic Operations Unit to do an oversight on Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) operations and fight corruption within the tax administration system,” the Presidency said on Friday.
The creation comes at a time when Museveni is pushing for rationalisation and merging of several government agencies, a move he said would save Uganda more than Shs1trillion every year.
Still on Friday, David Kalemera was appointed senior presidential advisor to head the unit.
High Court's Anti-Corruption Division documents obtained by Monitor show that he was a former employee of URA from 2OO7 to 2016 when he was charged in court, before being terminated in March 2017.
Reports have emerged, linking Kalemera to an April 21, 2022 conviction by the same court for knowingly using customs conspiring to commit a felony in a corruption related case.
“The creation of the unit will help government close revenue leakages and boost tax collection,” the Presidency wrote in a brief statement released Friday.
Posting shortly after his appointment was communicated by governent, Kalemere said: "This new role comes with great responsibility, and I am committed to overseeing URA Uganda
operations and fighting corruption within our tax administration system," he wrote on X.
He added: "Together, we will work to close revenue leakages and boost tax collection for the betterment of our nation."
On June 13, 2024, Museveni announced a renewed fight against corruption as the country struggles with graft which the Ombudsman says costs Uganda over Shs10trillion annually.
Uganda has a State founded inter-agency forum, whose membership features about 20 government institutions against corruption.
