I have failed to understand what Ugandans want. The same Ugandans who have been accusing the NRM of failing to stop corruption in the country are the same Ugandans who are fighting against the few who have come out boldly to fight corruption at the grassroots.
I have seen and read in the media that some of the leaders, including those in the opposition who have been on top of the roof castigating the ruling government for failing to end corruption, are among those blaming the approach that Hon. Balaam and Namere are taking to get rid of corruption in this country.
The question is, why didn’t Hon. Balaam and Namere arrest all the civil servants in the districts they visited, but instead only picked those who failed to produce proper accountability for public resources?
Look at the schools Hon. Balaam visited. The enrolment was exaggerated, and the government kept on sending UPE and USE funds for non-existing students. Is that not corruption?
In fact, to me, there is a need to put a law outside this fight against corruption. The argument by the so-called Uganda Engineering Board against the arrest of district engineers accused of accounting for ghost roads is baseless, and I think the head of the Engineering Board should be summoned to record a statement because it means he is part of the team eating public funds through those engineers.
What Hon. Balaam and Namere are doing should have been done by previous ministers. The problem we had was having office ministers, not ground ministers who go and check every project like what Hon. Balaam and Namere are doing. The previous ministers were only specialized in launching projects in Kampala and finished.
I would like to advise Hon. Balaam and his junior: please never, never be intimidated. Do what pleases Ugandans, and Ugandans are already happy with that. Please move on.
Hon. Balaam, never look back, never look to the side, but move on and don’t leave any stone unturned. I have seen several districts where engineers are spending nights opening up roads out of panic, yet they used to cry that there was no money. Where did they get that money on such short notice to work on those roads?
Hon. Balaam, in fact, you made a mistake by announcing your tour of the northern districts. You should have just pounced on them when they were unaware.
The writer is the senior veteran journalist.
