Parliament okays Bumugemereire, Ocheger appointment

Deputy Inspector General of Government George Bamugemereire. Photo/File

Described as the best nominees so far vetted by appointments committee, MPs yesterday unanimously okayed the appointment of deputy Inspector General of Government George Bamugemereire and Uganda's ambassador to Nigeria Nelson Ocheger

Sources that attended the vetting meeting chaired by Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga, said that although members raised a number of issues regarding corruption in the country, they were pleased that the IGG has initiated a number of measures  to curb the voice.

"I think these were the most knowledgeable, experienced and qualified nominees that we have so far interacted with this year. The members unanimously agreed to pass them," an MP said.

The sources said, the committee was informed that Bamugemereire's career started in 1990 when he was appointed a state attorney with the department of public prosecution.

"He brings a wealth of knowledge gathered from the public and private sector in Uganda and a good mix of both local and international experience which has been key in driving the inspectorate forward," an MP said.

After the vetting, Bamugemereire told journalists at Parliament that members were mainly concerned with the initiatives and values that have been instituted by the IGG in the fight against corruption.

They also reportedly asked about the procurement scandals in government projects and why the Inspectorate takes long to resolve procurement complaints.

According to the MPs, slow handling of procurement complaints bogs down work and slows development.

"We had useful interaction with the committee members but we face a dilemma in anti-corruption. Citizens have a right to complain unfortunately we have had problems with the number  of days we take to investigate and clear the complaint," he said.

However he said as corruption cases  increase, investigation agencies should develop mechanisms  of handling some of the cases so that only big cases that requires special expertise are brought to the IGG.

According to Bamugemereire, the IGG is currently handling over 6000 complaints yet the human resource capacity remains small.

The Committee also approved Ocheger's appointment though members reportedly complained about forged Ugandan passports in the hands of Nigerians.

"He said the embassy is aware of the allegations but measures have been put in place to ensure that whoever comes to Uganda has genuine documents," a source said.