MPs push for Leadership Code reforms

Andrew Sseyonga and Paul Kiwuuwa               

KAMPALA - MPs on the African Parliamentary Network Against Corruption (APNAC) want the Leadership Code amended to have information on officials' wealth made public.

The Leadership Code has a provision that compels public officials and politicians to declare their assets and liabilities and also demands that the submissions be made to the Inspector General of Government (IGG) to promote transparency.

But the code is silent on whether the declarations can be made public.

The move to publicize this information was supported by civil society organizations (CSOs) including Uganda Debt Network, Transparency International- Uganda, Democratic Governance Facility, Uganda National NGO Forum, Actionaid, Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda among others. 

‘Public information’

On Friday, the CSOs had a feedback meeting on the Anti-Corruption Amendment Bill (ACAB) 2015 at Hotel Africana, Kampala.

The MPs led by the Makindye East MP John Ssimbwa said fighting corruption will not be effected unless all declared wealth of public officials and politicians to the IGG is made public.

"We are pushing for an amendment in the code to insert a provision that compels the IGG to make the declared wealth and assets of all public officials and politicians public information," said Ssimbwa.

He noted with concern that many public servants and politicians underdeclare their assets for fear of being investigated over the source of their wealth.

He said it's only the IGG who knows the information of declared assets and liabilities for the public officials and politicians, which affects the fight against corruption.

"Those who want to fight against corruption are denied information to expose the corrupt, hence jeopardizing the process.”

The legislator said if the push to amend the code fails, they will go to the courts of law to scrape the provision that make prohibits the exposure of the declared wealth.

‘Right to access information’

Meanwhile, Okoro county (Zombo district) MP Stanley Omwonya proposed that the office of the IGG be open to the public to have access to that information or publish the declaration forms of assets and liabilities.

"Once this is done, everybody will have access to this information concerning their leaders and public servants. This will compel the public to investigate the questionable source of wealth for most of the public servants,” he weighed in.

Annet Twine, the director of leadership code in the IGG's office, backed the proposal of amending the Leadership Code. But she advised the legislators and CSOs to access the information from the IGG's office through the Access to Information Act.

"In June 2011, Government put in place a law to implement the Access to Information Act (ATIA) that was passed by parliament.

“The law grants every citizen the right to access information in the possession of the state or any other state agency except when the release of information affects state sovereignty or interferes with privacy rights," Twine explained.

The CSOs applauded Parliament for passing the Anti-Corruption Amendment Bill (ACAB) 2015.

Parliament in July, 2015 passed the long-awaited ACAB, which grants powers to the government to confiscate wealth and assets of officials convicted of corruption.

“In the spirit of promoting good governance and the zero tolerance to corruption policy, we call upon President [Yoweri] Museveni to demonstrate more decisive political will to fight corruption in Uganda by urgently assenting the bill passed by parliament," said Peter Wandera, the executive director, Transparency International (TI).

Omwonya cautioned Ugandans against praising people who promote corruption tendencies.