By Max Patrick Ocaido
President Yoweri Museveni has ordered the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) and Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) to recruit staff based on individual integrity rather than academic qualifications.
Museveni was speaking after championing the Anti-Corruption Walk from Constitutional Square to Kololo Ceremonial Grounds where he was joined by religious leaders, government agencies, traditional, and civil society leaders.
In his address, Museveni urged the IGG, URA and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit headed by Lt Col Edith Nakalema to recruit staff based on integrity if public offices are to effectively fight corruption in the country.
“Don’t recruit people on the basis of paper qualification but integrity. The mistake of IGG, Nakalema office, and URA is that they recruit people using papers. Look for integrity,” Museveni said.
“It is only the judiciary and the army that can recruit according to papers or qualification.”
Museveni said that he knows very many public officers who are corrupt and is just waiting for enough evidence to have them arrested and prosecuted in the courts of law.
In a bid to fight corruption, Mr Museveni said that there is a need to address the moral, spiritual and material needs of the people.
“Therefore, we political leaders should work for the economy in such a way that our people get out of material needs because if people don’t have jobs and income then the temptation [of corruption] is high. So, we should work to make sure our people get jobs and wealth then we can address the spiritual and moral aspect,” he said.
To curb the issue of material needs, Mr Museveni urged political and administrative leaders to support the expansion of commercial agriculture, industry, services, and ICT in order to get people out of acute poverty.
“I know people with money can also be corrupt also but sometimes it is caused by acute need. So, anybody who delays a project in agriculture, industry, services is indirectly an enemy of the fight against corruption. Let us develop the economy then we can preach against the moral and spiritual side,” Mr Museveni said.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah called for a different attitude in the fight against corruption adding that everyone is corrupt in one way or the other.
“We are all corrupt. We need to have a change of attitude. Don’t wait to be anything else to start fighting corruption. It starts from where you are and what you do. The fight starts with you. Let us stop the pretense,” Oulanyah said.
Museveni, however, urged the public to emulate his character saying, “I have never stolen anything from anybody and I am also not a poor man.”
After the address, Museveni flanked by Deputy Speaker Oulanyah and Chief Justice Bart Katureebe signed the Anti-Corruption pact denouncing, shunning and condemning corruption.
Mr Museveni also signed the Zero tolerance to corruption policy and national strategy for the next 5years.