Uganda’s three-decade president Yoweri Museveni has directed three ministers to review the work of agencies and authorities with the view of weeding out those that are duplicated.

In a July 17 letter titled ‘Mushrooming Agencies/Authorities’, Museveni orders Ministers Matia Kasaija (Finance), Muruli Mukasa (Public Service), Esther Mbayo (Presidency), head of public service and secretary to cabinet John Mitala as well as National Planning Authority chairman to “educate yourselves on” details of a report submitted on  “these endless, unplanned and unevaluated mushrooming agencies/authorities”.

“It is a mistake for us to continue funding and overseeing such a wastage of our meagre resources,” Museveni writes.

Museveni also wonders why there are departments, agencies and authorities dealing with the same issue.

“Why have an agency when you have a department of government dealing with the same area of responsibility?” he asks.

He added that the mushrooming agencies were avenue for money consumption – not production.

“Why have boards for money consuming units rather than money generating units,” he further probes.

Museveni also suspects that these agencies have not been giving value for money.

“How much are we spending on these agencies, authorities, etc. etc. I want the figures.”

Museveni explained that some agencies such as Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) were supposed to be temporary measures. For URA, Museveni revealed that the reason for formation was the corruption in the customs department of the finance ministry.

Read more of Museveni’s argument below: