Museveni Bans Bail for Government Thieves
IgarA East MP Hon Michael Mawanda and others have been denied bail, accused of stealing cooperative funds.
President Museveni believes stopping corruption depends on denying bail to those charged with serious crimes, including corruption. During a cabinet retreat at the National Leadership Institute Kyankwanzi, he stated, “We can defeat corruption if the judiciary denies bail to individuals accused of serious crimes like murder, treason, terrorism, rape, defilement, corruption, and theft.”
Museveni reiterated this on X (formerly Twitter), saying cases should proceed to trial without bail for these offenses. Notably, Minister Amos Lugolobi is currently on bail over a separate corruption scandal.
He urged the judiciary to support his administration by classifying corruption, especially embezzlement, as non-bailable offenses. Museveni stressed that with a firm approach, corruption can be defeated.
He highlighted the cost of corruption, citing the Inspectorate of Government’s estimate that it costs Uganda Shs9.7 trillion annually. Museveni mentioned that some believe he weakened the IGG’s office by creating parallel institutions to handle similar tasks, leading to criticism from his detractors.
Museveni recently appointed David Kalemera as a senior advisor and head of a new unit, despite Kalemera’s 2022 conviction for tax fraud. Museveni defended his actions by stating he needed to intervene due to the failure of accounting officers.
He announced the creation of additional units to investigate tax evasion, under-declarations, and embezzlement. Museveni also accused Parliament of reallocating Shs3.7 trillion over the past four financial years, hindering efforts to tackle corruption.
By establishing these structures, Museveni aims to directly engage with citizens affected by corruption. He noted that young people have a different mindset than current accounting officers, who he described as having careerist and mercenary attitudes.
Museveni identified two types of corruption in the government: stealing public funds and accepting bribes, and employee disloyalty in private companies. He warned that employee theft could harm Uganda’s economy and urged the police to hold such individuals accountable, including repaying stolen money and serving prison sentences.