Justice Irene Mulyagonja Kakooza

Opinion: Museveni ask his new ministers to desist from himself…

“I call upon all ministers and public servants to desist from engaging in any form of corruption. Corruption by any government officials is a great betrayal to Ugandans who are desperately yearning for service delivery. I implore the general public to embrace this fight and report the crooked officials with evidence, as opposed to rumours and we will take action” (Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, 13.01.2020).

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the President since 1986, whose now richer than God, but came into power with little or nothing. Therefore, he knows what he did to get there. He knows the implicated scandals, the grand corruption and often noticed missing funds in the headlines in the Republic.

That is why these sorts of desisting from corruption Telling the Ministers and the Public from stopping it. Meaning it should stop and get all evidence on plenty of high ranking officials in this government. Get the evidence of state owned enterprises and authorities. There are plenty of officials who would easily be implicated and connected with government tenders and whatnot.

There is enough ghosts, over-inflated state contracts and some-what. Therefore, days like today. Feels futile. The state has created a lot of mechanisms, a lot of organizations fighting corruption. Still, the big-men, the men sanctioned by the State House and the secretive investment deals are overshadowing the supposed battle against corruption.

When there is lack of transparency from the top. There will be less from the bottom too. There is no reason for changes, when everyone is eating and the ones with influence of the State House. They got an ability to get kickbacks, suits, graft and so-on. This is not news, but a reality.

The NRA historicals can steal land, take property and easily, therefore have other perks too. The NRM knows this and let them go. If your big enough and has the blessing, you can eat UNRA funds, eat NSSF funds and GAVI Funds with no costs or damages. You get to build a mansion and own business, on stolen funds.

That is why statements like today is worthless. Not believable. He has the Public Procurement And Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA), Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA), State House Anti-Corruption Unit, Inspectorate of Government (IGG) and Auditor General (AG). Nevertheless, the big-fish is not getting caught. You have the Police Force and the Judiciary too. Still, all of these cooks cannot make a decent meal. Its a bland mix of watery soup, not even a good broth.

That is why President Museveni. We have to see you fight yourself. Not walk, not talk, but battle your own shadow and that’s not happening. Because, your not a cartoon character, but a self-styled President for Life. Peace.

Opinion: Parasites and lies, a walk against himself…

“I have never stolen anything from anybody. And I am also not a poor man” – Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at the Walk Against Corruption on the 4^th December 2019

Today, was the official walk against Corruption in Kampala, as the President, the Anti-Corruption Unit at the State House and all other governing parties involved muster up a decent crowd of paid participants, staff and whatnot, security guards and whoever they could find. To walk a distance in the midst of Kampala.

At one point, the guards and security told pieces of the march to slow down, because it couldn’t walk faster than the President. Even as he went to Kololo, he still went at a rate, that was to slow too many. This walk will not change anything. It is a PR Stunt, which will not gain anything fruitful. It is more public wastage in order of looking sincere, which it is not and will never, be.

“It is a moral problem because you make yourself a parasite. Corrupt people are parasites because they get wealth which they did not earn, because they think that God does not see the bad things they do. In the last 60 years, I have been watching and I have not seen these corrupt people being successful sustainably” – Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at the Walk Against Corruption on the 4th December 2019

With this in mind, the President is truthfully telling the world that his rich. His vastly rich, Ritchie Rich, rich actually. However, the President doesn’t tell how he got there. It was not like he had wealth and assets going into the role of the Presidency. Not like he had estates, businesses and ranches going in. No, he was an impoverished former Minister, who had gotten grants by mercy of Nyerere and who was hired by Obote II. That is who he was until 1986. Therefore, his wealth has come with power and with incentives given to him over time, also boosting his accounts and also his cronies.

Secondly, if it is a moral problem, then its engraved into this administration. If corrupt people are insects and parasites, there is surely a lot of them in his cabinet, in his offices and around his closest associates. Himself is a parasite then. Because, he haven’t gained wealth on innovation, marketing or basic business models, but by being in-office and getting bargain by kickbacks and inside deals.

Last, but not last. We can say you Mr. President has been successful, gaining more and more power, more and more money and depleting the state, little by little. To a point, where nothing isn’t up for grabs, where secret deals inside the State House decides, if they are staying or going. The Presidential Handshakes and whatnot is the ones crediting to you. That is why walking today is obnoxious and outrageous. Only naïve and dumbfounded people believes this PR Stunt.

The man cannot fight himself. He will not tarnish his own creation and destroy what he keeps him there. Therefore, this is charade, packed as a rally and a march against something. But in the end, it will only further show the rot, the plight and the suffering the actions made by this cause. Peace.

Follow the Code: A secret walk against corruption

“On 4th December, 2019, H.E the President of the Republic of Uganda will lead the walk code named Anti- corruption walk. The walk is aimed at intensifying the fight against corruption. The walk will start from Constitutional Square to Kololo and a number of people are expected to participate in this walk” (Uganda Police Force – ‘TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR ANTI-CORRUPTION WALK ON 4/12/2019’ 03.12.2019).

Merriam Webster states that a code name means: “a designation having a coded and usually secret meaning” (“Code name.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/code%20name). With this in mind, I never believed that His Excellency or the President is serious about this.

This is the President whose have had issues with demonstrations, protests and rebellion. Therefore, his not the man whose walking against anything. He was a rebel at one point, but that was for his own cause. That is why his stayed in power since 1986 and never left.

With that in mind, the man whose known for having someone close to his office or cabinet connected in some corruption every single year. It is seemingly happening, there are like those proverbs in the papers saying: “Missing Funds”, “Unaccounted Donor Grants”, “Fake Corporations/Products”, “Ghost Employees” and so-on. Even knowledge of kickbacks, secret agreements between the President and Foreign Investors. That is just happens on the regular.

That’s why the President has created dozens of agencies supposed to have the ability to monitor the state organizations, businesses and tenders. This being the Inspector General of Government (IGG), Office of the Auditor General (OAG), Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority(PPDA), Anti-Corruption Unit – State House or even the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA). All of these are supposed to combat the ill called corruption. Still, these are not able to do so, neither are the Judiciary nor the Law Enforcement they are working in tandem with.

That is why the walk is even more ridiculous, as if it’s not the man whose the V.I.P or the Fountain of Honour, whose often involved or accepts the corruption. That being some road-scandal, illegal tender nor the Presidential Handshake. Neither some procurement for some government agency played around with to ensure someone got greased.

So, this walk against corruption. The man whose behind the grand-corruption and his party is usually connected directly in these operations. That is why tomorrows walk is walking against itself. This is like the man who makes everyone sick, suddenly will drop the cure. The man who drops bombs over a nation, suddenly calls and walks for peace. It doesn’t work. That isn’t real!

Unless, the old man with the hat starts to shadow boxing himself, knock himself out and suddenly understand that his the problem. Not that it will happen. This is a PR stunt and nothing else. The NRM MPs, the ones who wants to show loyalty will show up. But everyone knows the state who does this on the regular. Will not stop doing it. That is why Total had secret talks in the State House with the President just this week.

We cannot expect anyone than the small-fry gets charged and taken into custody. The ones who are the big-fish will not touched, unless they have fallen out with Jajja. Peace.

Opinion: Did the Anti-Corruption Unit at the State House overtake the IGG?

Irene Mulyagonja, the fourth Inspector General of General (IGG), who was appointed to this position in 2012. Are now six years later appointed to Courts of Appeals as a judge. A position she used to have since 2008, when she appointed as a High Court judge back-then. Therefore, she’s returning to her field of work after 7 years in “absence”.

What is clear is that the IGG has lost the mantle, haven’t been as focused or had the pivotal role as it could have had. However, that is not her fault. The state has established a new Anti-Corruption Unit in the State House. The IGG, had already competition with the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA), the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) and the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA). Combined with the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), the Judiciary and the law-enforcement in general. Therefore, in the field of anti-corruption, there is a bit many chefs to compete with.

So, as an IGG she’s become more of a ghost. But that is because, well, the state has funded and created the State House initiative, which have put the others on the back-burner. Not like they have any prominence or reckoning of late. I cannot even remember a substantial report from either of the authorities in ages. That revealed something substantial or even investigated state owned enterprises nor the government tenders. Its been so little or nothing.

With this in mind, maybe it was a gift from the President to appoint her to the Courts of Appeals. So, she can use her skills, her experience and her knowledge to good use. Since it was wasted at the IGG.

We can hope this is greener pastures, maybe even a relief. Since, the hopelessness and the diverted fight against corruption must be boring. When the ones and cases are directed to the State House and not to the other authorities. Even if their mandate, their mission and their government position is more bearing in law and in print, than the one suddenly created last year.

Well, good luck at a new venture Irene Mulyagonja. We have to see who will be the fifth IGG and who will be the ghost in the machine. Because the role of the IGG has diminished with time. We can just wonder, why they bother even having it at this point and time? Peace.

Opinion: BoU and UTL share the same sins, just different institutions

We can lie to ourselves, we all do it now and then, and even the most holy of us does it, but acts like saints. Nevertheless, the realities are hard-hitting and not as people tend it too be. In the recent days, there been steady scandals in two institutions connected to the government of Uganda. This being the Bank of Uganda and Uganda Telecom Limited. Both whose place is vital and both under “ownership” of the state.

They have very different roles in society, as one is the Reserve Bank and the one that follows direct guidelines of the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, while the same Ministry owns the other! That is why there are some of the same aspects, as the stories are pouring out.

The BoU is rocked by lack of due diligence, lack of minutes, lack of working after protocol and procurement. The UTL is lacking leadership, lacking structure or even basic control from the state. Both is run by the MoFPED and still has the same issues. It is like they are two ugly siblings and none of these bastards can get a date.

The BoU is the epitome of corrupt behaviour from buying pens, securing quick-fix funds for trading commercial banks and so on. While the UTL have shady-back-door deals with willy-nilly abroad in Mauritius or Nigeria, even some skeletons in Libya. Still, even if Hon. Evelyn Anite tries every avenue and use all parts of the dictionary, she still doesn’t have the powers to sack the ones running UTL, because the MoFPED is involved and who knows how the President Museveni micromanages these state owned enterprises. Since his known for guidance everywhere in the Republic. That is why Hon. Anite had to send a letter to him to further her cause in the UTL saga.

We can lie to ourselves, but not that it does any good. At this point, the involvement of the state, the known actors and only the small-fries are getting caught. The ones doing the heist, doing the handshakes and getting the kick-backs from there is working directly with the State House. That is well known and not unknown, they even ask permission before doing so. This is what they do. Its only the ones who doesn’t ask who ends in the files of various departments fighting corruption. Even if they end up there, they might lose the paperwork or minutes before investigation, as the loyal subjects clear the house. So, that the big-man on top, doesn’t get humiliated.

This is just what is up and what is going down. These men who runs these SOEs are allowed to what they do, because the higher power let them do it and they are all eating. Especially, when the “high above” sanctions it, its all cool, but if he doesn’t get a cut; than there is an issue and someone have to pay. That is the end-game, that is why it continues and why it floats like this. Not because this is a healthy practice or even a way that the state should govern, but this is what they are known to do.

The UTL and BoU have similar issues, they are doing similar acts, but with different enterprises. We can act a fool, but that will still not save the face of the ones running it. Sooner or later, someone will fall on the sword of their master. Right now its not needed, but when these two institutions needs a boost of confidence, someone will swallow their pride and do their last act of mercy. That is just how it goes. We just don’t know who will fall and for what cause, other than saving the high above from humiliation. Peace.