Justice Aisha Naluzze Batala has been appointed the new Inspector General of Government (IGG), replacing Beti Kamya, who served for one term.
Her appointment has raised hopes, but many people do not know much about her because she has mostly worked in the Judiciary. Uganda loses about Shs10 trillion every year to corruption, according to Transparency International, so Naluzze’s work is well cut out.
During the period she has been on the bench, Naluzze has largely handled cases about fraud and land disputes. A scrutiny of some of these cases could give us a window into what type of IGG she will
Firm Rulings
In her work as a judge, Naluzze has shown she cares about fairness. For example, in July 2024, she ruled on a case where a businessman, Onesmus Amanya, paid Shs 287 million for land, but the seller, Samuel Mayanja, tricked him by selling the same land to someone else with fake documents. Naluzze ordered Mayanja to refund the money. She protected the buyer and punished the wrongdoer. This shows she might focus on helping victims of corruption, like farmers who lose land or workers cheated out of pay.
However, Naluzze demands strong proof. In another case, she rejected a claim about fake land documents because the evidence was not solid enough. She said fraud is a serious issue and needs clear proof. While this ensures fairness, it could slow down her work as IGG if she only accepts perfect evidence, especially since many corruption cases lack clear proof.
Experience as a prosecutor
Before becoming a judge, Naluzze worked as a prosecutor from 2006. In Masaka, she was praised in 2020 by a legal group for breaking up local corruption networks. She once said on Radio Buddu, “Corruption does not just steal money; it steals hope from the poor.” This shows she understands how corruption hurts ordinary Ugandans, like when money for hospitals or schools disappears.
Her court rulings also show she doesn’t tolerate small-scale corruption. In February 2024, she stopped a local council from wrongly taking someone’s land title. As IGG, she might focus on real results, like catching corrupt officials, instead of just talking about it like her predecessor, Beti Kamya, who was criticised for not achieving much in court.
Naluzze’s job won’t be easy. The IGG’s office doesn’t have enough money to investigate properly. Her focus on strong evidence might make it hard to tackle big, corrupt officials, especially if they hide their actions or have political protection. People will watch to see if she can investigate those close to President Museveni.
Naluzze could be a strong IGG. Her fair rulings and experience as a prosecutor suggest she will work hard to recover stolen money, punish corrupt officials, and rebuild trust. But her need for solid proof and the IGG’s limited resources might make things harder. If she overcomes these challenges, she could make a big difference in fighting corruption in Uganda.
