Former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs John Mulimba has praised President Yoweri Museveni and the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, for the ongoing crackdown on corruption.
Addressing journalists at Sheraton Hotel in Kampala, Mulimba said many Ugandans had grown tired of corruption, especially in Parliament, but felt powerless to speak out.
“I would like to tell them (Museveni and Gen Muhoozi) that they do not know how much relief they have given to millions of Ugandans who had hitherto been suffocated. They could not speak and could not even breathe because they felt the pain but lacked the space to express themselves. Those who dared to speak suffered the consequences. Therefore, their actions are in the right direction at the right time,” Mulimba said.
He noted that the ongoing crackdown has restored hope among Ugandans and applauded both Museveni and Gen Muhoozi for spearheading the fight against corruption.
“I would like to thank the President for declaring upon his swearing-in that this is a ‘no sleep’ term. Literally, ‘no sleep’ means people should not be sluggish in the execution of their duties. People should not commit grave mistakes, and those who have committed mistakes should wake up and correct them,” Mulimba said.
He added that officials responsible for protecting the country’s resources and defending national integrity must rise up and be counted in the fight against corruption.
The former minister also applauded Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba for taking the lead in the anti-corruption campaign, saying he is acting within his constitutional mandate.
“The CDF is discharging his constitutional and civic duty of cracking the whip on corruption, especially corruption around what is deemed to be the temple of democracy and good manners — the Parliament of the Republic of Uganda,” he said.
Whip Long Overdue
Mulimba said the ongoing crackdown was long overdue, arguing that Parliament, under Speaker Anita Among, had become a hotbed of corruption.
“The IGG report of 2021/2022 indicated that the Ugandan government loses up to Shs10 trillion through corruption, and I think about 40 percent of that could be lost in Parliament. Parliament, which is supposed to be the temple of democracy and morality, has instead become one of the institutions fuelling the cancer of corruption in Uganda,” he said.
He argued that extraordinary circumstances require extraordinary measures.
“It is imperative for us to appreciate the CDF for the extraordinary measures he has taken to crack down on corruption,” Mulimba added.
He further called for the crackdown to be extended to Parliament staff, Members of Parliament, and officials in other government agencies.
“My opinion is that it should not be business as usual. Ugandans are not very sure whether what has been started will be completed. I am here to add my voice to millions of Ugandans calling upon both the CDF and the President to tackle corruption decisively so that offenders are arraigned before courts of law and given punishment prescribed by the law,” he said.
The developments come as joint security agencies widen investigations into alleged corruption and illicit enrichment involving former Speaker Anita Among.
Following raids on her residences in Kampala and Bukedea, where several properties were reportedly seized, the crackdown has since extended to her office at Parliament, which has now been designated a crime scene.
