President Yoweri Museveni has revealed how "bad" elements infiltrated the newly revived Uganda Airlines, prompting him to flush them out.
While addressing the first sitting of the 11th Parliament after the election of Speaker and Deputy Speaker, Museveni emphasized the need for Parliament to help him fight corruption saying this kisanja (term) is for social economic transformation.
"First of all, let us budget correctly and also fight corruption. I saw this [corruption] recently on Uganda Airlines. We revived Uganda Airlines; brought new planes and so on, but the airlines was infiltrated immediately by some bad elements. They employed their relatives, inflated procurement costs. So when I moved in, I disbanded all of them including the Board," Museveni said.
Early this month, Minister of Works and Transport, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, 'sacked' several senior managers at the Uganda Airlines Corporation on allegations of corruption and mismanagement.
" I would like Members of Parliament to help me. Many Ugandans are tired of this corruption. But with proper budgeting and fighting corruption, we are going to succeed," Museveni said.
"This term of Parliament and government is for social economic transformation. We have laid a good foundation; the infrastructure is better, good roads, enough electricity, schools, health centers. What is needed is to use these to transform our people to get out of underdevelopment. I want us to be very serious in this term," he said.
Museveni warned political leaders to desist from politics of intolerance and vindictiveness referring to the just concluded Speakership race where some candidates were using abusive language on media.
"Our problem is intolerance. Being with people who are vindictive is not good. I have never had a problem with anyone even when we fight. We work with people even when we fight. This line of vindictiveness, not forgiving is a bad spirit," Museveni said, adding that he has been able to work with the likes of Gen Moses Ali who was working with Idd Amin.
Museveni said that he managed to handle the speakership race by barring NRM members from taking side before the Party comes up with a position. He then congratulated the MPs for not letting him and the party by upholding its decision to vote Jacob Oulanyah and Anita Among as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 11th Parliament.
