President Museveni has voiced strong concerns about the pervasive issue of corruption in Uganda, underscoring the massive financial toll it takes on the nation.
According to President Museveni, the Inspector General of Government (IGG) estimates that the country loses approximately Shs9.7 trillion annually due to corruption.
“This is not acceptable; corruption should be crushed and will be crushed,” the President declared during his keynote speech on the National Resistance Movement’s commitment to improving the quality of life for Ugandans.
Museveni made the remarks during the opening ceremony of the public service leaders’ retreat at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi.
The 7-day retreat which is running under the theme: “Answering the Citizens’ Call: Improved Service Delivery for Socio-Economic Transformation”, is being attended by Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and the members of the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC).
Emphasising the historical roots and enduring nature of corruption, Museveni recounted anecdotes from his childhood, illustrating how endemic corruption was before the NRM leadership.
“Before the advent of the NRM leadership, corruption was endemic in Uganda, both during the time of the British and afterwards,” he noted.
The president drew a stark contrast between the pre-NRM era and the measures his administration has taken to combat corruption. He cited the discipline enforced within the NRA (National Resistance Army), where misconduct was severely punished.
Despite these efforts, Museveni acknowledged that corruption persists, particularly among those in charge of government funds, procurement, and personnel.
He announced the establishment of several new initiatives, including a tax investigation unit and an accountancy and audit unit. These units will focus on investigating tax evasions, under-declarations, and money diversion.
“We are coming in indirectly,” he said, emphasising that political leaders must step in when accounting officers fail to perform their duties.
The President reiterated his commitment to defeating corruption, linking it to broader national goals such as security, healthcare, education, and economic integration.
“Once we deal with the corruption, we, then, have the other elements of the mass-line that I talked about at Kololo recently, different from the elite-line. Apart from security for all, we insisted on immunisation for all and health care for all; education for all (UPE and USE); prosperity for all; clean water for all; infrastructure development; and continental and regional economic integration for the market of our wealth products. With these, we cannot go wrong,” he said.
