The Vice President, H.E. Jessica Alupo, has commended the Ministry of Local Government for its ongoing anti-corruption campaign while calling for accountability operations to be conducted fairly, lawfully and in accordance with due process.
Representing H.E. President Yoweri Museveni at a high-level meeting of Local Government political and technical leaders convened by the Ministry of Local Government, the Vice President applauded the efforts of the Minister of Local Government, Hon. Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi, and the Minister of State for Local Government, Hon. Justine Nameere Nsubuga, in advancing the Ministry’s anti-corruption campaign.
“Their inspections, follow-ups, oversight and decisive interventions have sent a strong and timely clarion call to all leaders that the era of laxity, impunity and misuse of public resources must end, and it must end now,” she said.
While reaffirming that corruption remains one of the greatest obstacles to Uganda’s socio-economic transformation, the Vice President emphasised that anti-corruption operations must respect the Constitution and the rule of law. She reminded leaders that every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty and cautioned against practices that expose individuals to public humiliation before due legal process has taken its course.
Highlighting the central role of Local Governments in national development the Vice President reiterated, that Local Government is the face of the State and the place where public trust is strengthened or broken. Explaining, that the decisions made by Local Government leaders determine whether children learn in safe classrooms, mothers receive quality healthcare, farmers access markets through passable roads and public resources are used for their intended purpose.
The Vice President also called on leaders to support Government’s efforts to grow Uganda’s economy, noting that achieving the country’s long-term development aspirations would create greater opportunities to address some of the underlying factors contributing to corruption. She urged Local Government leaders to strengthen supervision and monitoring and to take prompt corrective action whenever gaps are identified so that anti-corruption efforts do not become mere rhetoric.
Her excellency has called upon every district, city and municipality to leave the meeting with practical action plans to implement H.E. the President’s directive and deliver better services to the people.
