President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has warned the government officials against corruption and misuse of public funds, saying the vice has been detrimental to service delivery and the country’s growth and development.
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 yesterday during his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Public Service Leaders’ Introspection Retreat at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi. The President was accompanied by the first lady and Minister of Education and Sports Mama Janet Museveni.
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, President 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.
In his speech, the NRM national chairman re-echoed his government’s commitment to defeating corruption, linking it to broader national goals such as security, healthcare, education, and Economic integration.
The Vice President, H.E. Maj (Rtd) Jessica Alupo highlighted Uganda’s advancements in security and economic stability under the leadership of President Museveni.
On economic security; it speaks for itself that you (President Museveni) have provided economic stability from 1986 up to now. You can now move from North to East, South to West, and Central at any time of the day without any interruptions. She said.
In her speech, Prime Minister Rt.Hon. Robinah Nabbanja commended president Museveni for his visionary and strategic leadership which has propelled the country from a failed state to a prosperous nation.
“I wish to confirm that my office has well-coordinated all other MDAs to work on ensuring the implementation of the ambitious government-wise operational strategy for delivering a public service culture required for the tenfold growth of the economy.
The NRM Secretary General Rt.Hon. Richard Todwong reiterated that the party he leads was voted into government and therefore we set out to overcome the challenges we face during manifesto implementation.
“This retreat offers us a chance to evaluate the impact of the implementation of our manifesto. We want to look at the mistakes we have made, where we need to improve and where we have succeeded before we move into chances for the next election cycle of elections.
He maintained it vital for the leaders to reflect on the changing dynamics of society. “Because the growth of society is reflected in the ways the needs and demands of the people are put to the administrators.”
He called on fellow leaders in government to tackle the challenges of the ever growing population in the Kampala metropolitan.
“The population in the recent census released, the population in Kampala and the surrounding districts shows that there is expansion of the population in these areas. Therefore, we have to plan for this increase because the available resources are pressurized,” He said.
Ms Lucy Nakyobe, the Head of Public Service and organizer of the retreat said the retreat shall enable the leaders to enhance more cohesion and team work in execution of their public duties.
“We want to torch ourselves to our gains or even shortfalls. What the cause of these shortfalls are and what the practical solutions are. What the responsible centres are and the time frame for rectifying whatever is going wrong,” Nakyobe said.
