Kampala, UGANDA – The Inspector General of Government (IGG), Beti Olive Namisango Kamya, is approaching the end of her four-year term on Monday, September 22, with no public indication from President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on whether she will be reappointed or replaced.
Kamya, who was appointed in July 2021 and officially sworn in two months later, will conclude her mandate together with her two deputies, Ms. Anne Twinomugisha Muhairwe and Dr. Patricia Achan Okiria. The simultaneous expiry of all three top positions could leave the Inspectorate of Government without a substantive or acting leader for the first time, unless new appointments are announced before the deadline.
Concerns about the leadership vacuum are growing, especially as recent public remarks and gestures by President Museveni suggest a possible loss of confidence in the current team.
At a recent function in Migera, Nakasongola, the President notably praised one of Kamya’s deputies but omitted any reference to the IGG herself, despite her presence at the event. Earlier this year, during a meeting at State House, Museveni dismissed a parastatal head who attempted to cite an IGG report in their defense, bluntly stating:
“I don’t believe in such reports anymore.”
The President has also previously accused some investigative bodies of being infiltrated by “kawukumi” (weevils), criticizing them for protecting the corrupt and betraying whistleblowers.
Kamya, a former cabinet minister and presidential candidate, entered office with strong promises to wage a more aggressive war on corruption. However, her tenure has been marked by criticism over limited impact, questions about the Inspectorate’s credibility, and the lack of high-profile convictions.
According to government insiders, new candidates from outside the Inspectorate are reportedly being vetted quietly, with Gen. Salim Saleh, the President’s brother and Senior Presidential Advisor on Defence and Security, playing a key consultative role, signaling a possible overhaul of the institution.
In contrast to the leadership transition of 2019, when then-IGG Justice Irene Mulyagonja left office but was succeeded by existing deputies George Bamugemereire and Mariam Wangadya, Kamya’s exit—alongside both deputies, creates an unprecedented administrative gap that could stall the agency’s operations.
