Minister Barugahara wants quick judgement against corrupt civil servants
“I don't think the system of interdicting officers for six months will work. I plan to propose that we change the law and make simpler decision making. If court is failing us, if prosecutors are failing us, let us do a disciplinary committee in a given district."
Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara and State Minister for Local Government Justine Nameere appearing before the Members of Parliament on the Public Accounts Committee (Local Government) chaired by Betty Bakireke Nambooze. (Photo by Maria Wamala)
________________
Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara wants corrupt civil servants to be fired expeditiously.
This, he says, is timely justice rather than the accused being subjected to disciplinary processes where officials suspected of dipping their hands into public coffers are temporarily suspended as long-drawn-out investigations take shape. Some culprits, he argues, end up being exonerated and return to office.
According to Barugahara, such bureaucratic measures are fueling the impunity of the highest order.
He made the call on Tuesday, August 18, while appearing before the Members of Parliament on the Public Accounts Committee (Local Government) chaired by Betty Bakireke Nambooze.
In company of State Minister for Local Government Justine Nameere and Permanent Secretary (PS) Ben Kumumanya, the minister stated, “I don't think the system of interdicting officers for six months will work. I plan to propose that we change the law and make simpler decision making. If court is failing us, if prosecutors are failing us, let us do a disciplinary committee in a given district."
In his opinion, accountability meetings should also be held at parish or village level, where officials would be required to explain how Government funds were used.
He added, "there are many unemployed youths who have the country at heart and are ready to serve but unfortunately lack opportunities.
“Honorable Bakireke could be having children who have graduated, but they are jobless. Because nobody knows them or has connected them, they don’t want to sleep with a service commissioner or do not have Sh20 million to buy a job,” Barugahara said while addressing the session chaired by Betty Nambooze Bakireke (Mukono Municipality MP).
District Service Commissions (DSC) cautiones
The minister also rallied MPs to join him in cleaning up the District Service Commissions (DSCs). Saying he had learnt that many of these bodies headed by secretaries are in charge of finances and had found cover under the Equal Opportunities Commission Tribunal. However, he said that the time had come to put an end to such shenanigans.
“For the last 40 years, the President has been very kind and polite. In his remarks at the beginning while he was taking office this term, he said this term is a term of no sleep, no more patience, no more politeness and no more corruption,” he cautioned.
It should be noted that since last month, Balaam Barugahara and his deputy, Justine Nameere, have traversed several parts of the country, where they have had suspects accused of graft arrested. More than 10 Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) have been interdicted on various charges.
“I went to Deputy Speaker, he told me clearly, that engineer of Mitooma has been a problem but no action was taken because of the Local Government Act where the District Service Commission (DSC) is the appointing authority, so all the Minister can do is investigate. Whereas some people were interdicted, the problem has remained. If you fear the technical people at the district, I will not fear them. I will sort them out for you,” Barugahara stated
MPs react
While they are in support of his anti-corruption stance, a handful of lawmakers, including Committee chairperson Betty Bakireke Nambooze (Mukono Municipality), Ibrahim Aisu (Pallisa County) and Peter Pex Paak (Dodoth East) implored Barugahara to prioritise recovering taxpayers’ money from the corrupt.
Rather than focusing solely on jailing them, which they argue is not an end itself.
“If there are those who are ready to refund the money, let us recover the money. In my area, as I can tell you, over Sh60 million has been recovered for the restocking, and more are happening. From over Sh40 billion. That is in my small area…..How many people are you going to arrest and jail? Because jailing and prosecuting them is costly,” Aisu pointed out.
Paak, a former RDC, said, “I recovered Sh57 million from a Town Clerk in Soroti Division West, Sh50 million from a CAO (Chief Administrative Officer) in Bulambuli.”
“I think the Ministry and Minister have heard, where we have to change the law, we shall change it so that we can recover money. Even when somebody is dead, we go for his estate,” Nambooze advised.