Faith Mwondha, the tough IGG
JUSTICE Faith Elizabeth Kalikwani Mwondha, the Inspector General of Government (IGG) has finally cracked her whip on former health ministers Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi, Capt. Mike Mukula and Dr. Alex Kamugisha. Muhwezi’s arrest warrant has been signed in spite of his absence from the country. But who i
By Geresom Musamali
JUSTICE Faith Elizabeth Kalikwani Mwondha, the Inspector General of Government (IGG) has finally cracked her whip on former health ministers Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi, Capt. Mike Mukula and Dr. Alex Kamugisha. Muhwezi’s arrest warrant has been signed in spite of his absence from the country. But who is Faith Mwondha?
President Yoweri Museveni appointed Mwondha as IGG in January 2005. The president also appointed Raphael Obudra Baku as deputy IGG.
Under the Section 20(1) of the Act of 2002, the IGG has powers to arrest and prosecute suspects of corruption and related offences to bring them before courts of law.
Before her appointment, Mwondha, 53, was a resident High Court judge in Mbale. In the IGG’s office, she replaced Jotham Tumwesigye who is now chairman of the National Immigration Board.
Mwondha holds a bachelors’ degree in Law from Makerere University. She represented Butembe County (Jinja) during the 1994/95 Constituent Assembly after serving in the judiciary as a chief magistrate.
She returned to the post of chief magistrate before her appointment in 2002 as a Human Rights Commissioner.
During her tenure as IGG, Mwondha has achieved record anti-corruption enforcement. Late last year, she ensured that former Information state minister James Nsaba Buturo refunded sh20m which he had illegally borrowed from Mega FM.
She also uncovered the mess in the National Social Security Fund, where Gender, Labour and Social Affairs minister Bakoko Bakoru, NSSF officials Geoffrey Onegi Obel (board chairman) and Leonard Mpuuma (MD) are suspected to have colluded with Kenya-based Ugandan businessman James Isabirye a.k.a Mugoya to defraud the Fund of sh8b. Former Lubaga South MP Ken Lukyamuzi too did not escape her wrath.
Mwondha recommended that Lukyamuzi be disqualified from Parliament and from holding any other public office after he failed to declare his assets in accordance to the Leadership Code of Conduct. Regional affairs state minister Isaac Musumba has not survived Mwondha either. She pinned him down last year for messing up the national identity card tenders.
Muhwezi is not the first military general Mwondha has taken on. In June last year, she castigated former lands and environment minister Gen. Kahinda Otafiire (now in Local Government), for peddling influence in the allocation of tenders.
Mwondha can stand her ground firm and protect the independence of the IGG. That is how she came to clash with Attorney General Khiddu Makubuya over the prosecution of Onegi Obel.
She believes that in the execution of her duties as IGG, she is not subject to influence by anybody.
Makubuya wrote to President Museveni in January this year advising him against the prosecution of Onegi Obel saying it was likely to attract legal liability to the Government.
Mwondha had urged President Museveni to dismiss Onegi Obel as presidential adviser.
In retaliation, she described Makubuya’s opinion as ‘a defence lawyer’s submissions.’ Then she recently pledged to get hold of Maj. Gen. Muhwezi. The events that unfolded yesterday reflect her determination.
JUSTICE Faith Elizabeth Kalikwani Mwondha, the Inspector General of Government (IGG) has finally cracked her whip on former health ministers Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi, Capt. Mike Mukula and Dr. Alex Kamugisha. Muhwezi’s arrest warrant has been signed in spite of his absence from the country. But who is Faith Mwondha?
President Yoweri Museveni appointed Mwondha as IGG in January 2005. The president also appointed Raphael Obudra Baku as deputy IGG.
Under the Section 20(1) of the Act of 2002, the IGG has powers to arrest and prosecute suspects of corruption and related offences to bring them before courts of law.
Before her appointment, Mwondha, 53, was a resident High Court judge in Mbale. In the IGG’s office, she replaced Jotham Tumwesigye who is now chairman of the National Immigration Board.
Mwondha holds a bachelors’ degree in Law from Makerere University. She represented Butembe County (Jinja) during the 1994/95 Constituent Assembly after serving in the judiciary as a chief magistrate.
She returned to the post of chief magistrate before her appointment in 2002 as a Human Rights Commissioner.
During her tenure as IGG, Mwondha has achieved record anti-corruption enforcement. Late last year, she ensured that former Information state minister James Nsaba Buturo refunded sh20m which he had illegally borrowed from Mega FM.
She also uncovered the mess in the National Social Security Fund, where Gender, Labour and Social Affairs minister Bakoko Bakoru, NSSF officials Geoffrey Onegi Obel (board chairman) and Leonard Mpuuma (MD) are suspected to have colluded with Kenya-based Ugandan businessman James Isabirye a.k.a Mugoya to defraud the Fund of sh8b. Former Lubaga South MP Ken Lukyamuzi too did not escape her wrath.
Mwondha recommended that Lukyamuzi be disqualified from Parliament and from holding any other public office after he failed to declare his assets in accordance to the Leadership Code of Conduct. Regional affairs state minister Isaac Musumba has not survived Mwondha either. She pinned him down last year for messing up the national identity card tenders.
Muhwezi is not the first military general Mwondha has taken on. In June last year, she castigated former lands and environment minister Gen. Kahinda Otafiire (now in Local Government), for peddling influence in the allocation of tenders.
Mwondha can stand her ground firm and protect the independence of the IGG. That is how she came to clash with Attorney General Khiddu Makubuya over the prosecution of Onegi Obel.
She believes that in the execution of her duties as IGG, she is not subject to influence by anybody.
Makubuya wrote to President Museveni in January this year advising him against the prosecution of Onegi Obel saying it was likely to attract legal liability to the Government.
Mwondha had urged President Museveni to dismiss Onegi Obel as presidential adviser.
In retaliation, she described Makubuya’s opinion as ‘a defence lawyer’s submissions.’ Then she recently pledged to get hold of Maj. Gen. Muhwezi. The events that unfolded yesterday reflect her determination.