President Yoweri Museveni has defended the ongoing field inspection tours by Hon. Barugahara, Hon. Nameere and potentially other officials, dismissing concerns that the exercises amount to “kutomera” — blindly bumping into issues without proper basis.
In a statement addressed to Ugandans, especially the Bazzukulu, the President said such fears are unfounded given the scale and frequency of corruption cases and the culture of impunity surrounding them.
“It is on account of the impunity and frequency of the corruption occurrences and the unaccountable actors,” Museveni wrote.
He recalled that his own election campaigns had to be interrupted to address complaints from angry citizens about graft in the Parish Development Model (PDM) and other programmes.
He also cited earlier reports from Bunyoro elders about the sale of local government jobs, as well as widespread allegations of ghost learners, teachers and health workers in government institutions.
Museveni said the main obstacles to fighting corruption have been cover-ups by officials meant to protect public interest and the failure of elites with access to decision-making centres to report wrongdoing.
By holding barazas (public gatherings) and engaging citizens directly, Barugahara and Nameere have bypassed “the blockade of the thieves manned by the responsible elements of the elite,” he noted.
He singled out Hon. Byamukama as an example of a patriotic elite who reported a racket of extortionists operating within State House.
The group was trapped and arrested following the tip-off.
“This corruption in Uganda is stoppable,” Museveni declared.
The President urged government officers not to cover up wrongdoing and called on citizens to report it.
He revealed that he had earlier tasked former Minister Magyezi with following up corruption complaints raised by the public.
While Magyezi visited the affected areas, “decisive action had not been taken,” Museveni observed, pointing to the enthusiastic public response to the current tours as evidence of pent-up demand for accountability.
He compared the current atmosphere to the early days of the National Resistance Movement, when large crowds voluntarily attended public meetings without inducements such as food, water or tents reserved for local elites.
Museveni concluded by calling on the Director of Public Prosecutions to assign a dedicated officer to rapidly assess the abundant evidence against suspects and ensure they are prosecuted.