The newly appointed minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Gen Henry Tumukunde, has vowed to eliminate corruption and misappropriation of public funds at the ministry, saying accountability will be central to his leadership.
Speaking to journalists during the handover ceremony at the ministry headquarters, Gender and Labour House in Kampala, Tumukunde said every shilling allocated to the ministry must be properly tracked and accounted for.
“I will track every penny originating from the Gender ministry. Any money coming from this ministry must be accounted for, no matter who handles it,” he said.
Tumukunde, who also serves as the MP for Rukungiri Municipality, said he had received reports of unfairness and misuse of resources within some ministry programmes.
He cited cases where ministry officials complained about lacking basic facilitation, while projects under their supervision reportedly had several vehicles assigned to them.
Drawing on his experience as a former intelligence chief, Tumukunde said tracing the use of taxpayers’ money would be a major priority during his tenure.
He said he would work closely with the ministry’s technical staff, state ministers responsible for youth, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, culture, labour and industrial relations, as well as development partners and the media.
The minister pledged to ensure that rules and regulations are strictly followed to improve service delivery across all sectors under the ministry, including gender, labour, youth, children, disability and elderly affairs.
Tumukunde also expressed concern about the increasing number of street children arriving in Kampala from the Karamoja sub-region.
He said he had directed the relevant state ministers to urgently investigate the matter and present a report so that appropriate action can be taken.
“We fought terrorism, and we shall investigate the source of this problem. It is a national shame and a serious social protection concern,” he said.
Meanwhile, the outgoing minister, Betty Amongi, called for increased government support to the ministry.
She said the ministry had played a key role in implementing the Parish Development Model (PDM), promoting women’s economic empowerment through the Growth Opportunities and Productivity for Women Enterprises (GROW) project and supporting older persons through the Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) programme.
Amongi urged the incoming leadership team, including State Minister for the Elderly Jacqueline Mbabazi, State Minister for Gender and Culture Peace Mutuuzo, State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs Balaam Barugahara, and other officials, to work closely with the ministry’s technical staff and uphold the law in carrying out their duties.
The ministry’s permanent secretary, Aggrey Kibenge, highlighted several outstanding issues requiring urgent attention.
These include the National Employment Policy and Strategy, the Culture Policy, the revised Equal Opportunities Policy, amendments to labour laws, and a Cabinet paper on conditions within juvenile justice institutions such as remand homes and reception centres.
Kibenge also called on the new leadership to align ministry programmes with the Fourth National Development Plan, the government’s 10-fold economic growth strategy, and the NRM Manifesto for 2026-2031.
