By Dan Samanya,
KAMPALA
The Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) has expressed disagreement with the government’s approach to fighting corruption, citing concerns about the efficiency and effectiveness of newly created bodies.
According to UPC spokesperson Ms. Arach Oyat Sharon, the existing institutions, such as the Inspectorate of Government and the Anti-Corruption Unit, are sufficient to address corruption. She argued that creating additional bodies would require reallocation of funds from other important investments, potentially wasting taxpayer money.
This comes after the establishment of new units, including the State House Investors Protection Unit headed by Edith Nakalema, and State House Intelligence and Strategic Operations Unit headed by David Kalemera, aimed at addressing revenue collection and leakage gaps. Despite President Museveni’s claims of having evidence of corrupt officials, the UPC has criticized the lack of transparency and follow-through on corruption cases.
“The government is taking Ugandans for granted, you can’t keep on, creating bodies tending to fight corruption yet you know that these bodies will need funds to operate, that means more funds have to be re-allocated from doing sensible investments and be wasted in these bodies, ‘’ said Arach.
The UPC has also raised concerns about the narrow tax base and the potential for corruption to persist even with enhanced monitoring. The party has urged the government to prioritize meaningful investments in areas like infrastructure, banking, and industrialization to drive economic growth and development.”
