The leader of the National Unity Platform Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine of Uganda has emphasised the welcome international sanctions placed on Ugandan officials not because they hate them but rather because of a pervasive worry about the culture of impunity that exists in the country.
Addressing the press on Thursday at the headquarters of the party Makerere Kavule, Bobi Wine alluded that current the regime has captured and undermined all mechanisms that can hold all corrupt officials accountable therefore most corrupt Ugandan officials are nolonger accountable to anybody as long as they are connected to the regime.
He added; “No one can hold them accountable for their own doing, let’s take an example of Anita Among the Speaker of Parliament, she embezzles billions of taxpayers’ money, the evidence is in the public but nobody can do anything. Instead of calling her to account Gen Museveni defends her. Instead of going after her security organs rather rest whoever speaks about her corrupt manners to the extent that some have run out of the country while others are hiding.”
Bobi Wine asserts that it’s because of impunity that the police can not summon the Speaker, the IGG can not investigate her as well as the DPP can not sanction charges on her, and courts of law can not summon her.
“The Auditor General has also been bought by the so-called service award, any MP that dares to raise the issue is quickly silenced and humiliated on the floor of Parliament by the same Speaker, that’s impunity. She has continued to live her life luxuriously. So with the state of affairs, citizens are left with two options either raise up or appeal to the national community to take measures including sanctions on corrupt officials,” he said.
According to Bobi Wine, although travel bans, asset freezes and others may not put corrupt and brutal officials in prison, they go far to block them from enjoying the stolen money or even investing it in those countries.
“Therefore we welcome such sanctions, these sanctions reaffirm the duty of civilized nations because they should never sit back as actions against poor people are going on. They steal money from the poor people thinking that they can enjoy it with their families in other countries, at least now we have a way forward. So we welcome these sanctions and we want these thieves to lay in the bed that they laid; they have destroyed their country, messed up our health care system, and education system, and now they are running to other countries. So we are happy for these sanctions and we want more,” he said.
It must be recalled that on Tuesday Deputy Foreign Secretary Andrew Mitchell announced sanctions against Speaker of Parliament Anita Among and two former ministers, marking the first instance of the UK government employing the Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions regime on individuals implicated in corruption within Uganda.
The trio, including two former ministers responsible for Karamoja, Uganda’s impoverished region, stand accused of corruption before Uganda’s Anti-Corruption Court. They face travel bans and asset freezes as punitive measures.
Mary Goretti Kitutu and Agnes Nandutu, the former ministers, allegedly misappropriated thousands of iron sheets intended for roofing and infrastructure projects funded by the government. Instead of aiding vulnerable communities as intended, they purportedly diverted the resources to influential politicians and their families. Speaker Among reportedly benefited from the proceeds of this scheme.
Deputy Foreign Secretary Mitchell condemned the actions, stating, “The actions of these individuals, in taking aid from those who need it most, and keeping the proceeds, is corruption at its worst and has no place in society.” He emphasized the necessity for accountability, affirming the Ugandan courts’ efforts to combat such corruption.
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