The working relationship between state minister for investment and privatization Evelyn Anite and Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) Director General Robert Mukiza has become sour, prompting President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Musevni to intervene in the matter.
In separate conversations, President Museveni has talked about the goings-on at UIA where a scandal over honoraria or some sort of cash award totalling to Shs546m given to Mukiza and other staff has complicated the relationship between the Director General and Anite, the minister supposed to supervise UIA bosses.
While DG Mukiza insisted the honoraria or cash award was within the law, Minister Anite swore that it was tantamount to corruption, a vice that Gen Museveni has lately vowed to deal with by crushing government officials who have made it a habit to steal taxpayers’ money instead of using it for its intended purposes.
Minister Anite has not only listed DG Mukiza as a corrupt person but she has also claimed that the embattled director general has attempted to tell lies. From Anite’s claims it seems President Museveni could be considering cracking the whip on officials involved in the UIA honoraria scandal.
Anite says that the reason Mukiza has reportedly resorted to telling lies is for him to be able to ‘save his neck.’
“Who will save Uganda and Ugandans from the corrupt? I can’t believe the corrupt like DG UIA Robert Mukiza resort to lying about me to President Yoweri Museveni in a bid to save their neck. Good news is the truth always wins. I promise to stay truthful to God, myself and my country,” said Anite.
The minister also praised Gen Museveni for supporting her move to save taxpayers’ money from being dished out to UIA staff. Anite promised to keep supporting the president.
“Thank you, Mr. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for saving Ugandans a loss of £8m through UIA and for ensuring that the UGX 546m Honoraria of Robert Mukiza and UIA staff took shall be recovered. I love you and shall always support you, my president,” she noted.
But some people have criticized Minister Anite for the manner in which she has handled the issue of UIA honoraria. One of those is Rogers Manishimwe who, on June 20, wrote an open letter to her telling her off for not liking Mukiza, and labelling her “a pathological liar” and one who “iis not fit to be a minister anywhere in this world.”
“I know you’re disappointed, I know you were not happy to see Robert Mukiza coming in as the Director UIA, you were always ready to make him lose that office and I know you just can’t face the truth that what happened in the honoraria was lawful,” wrote Manishimwe.
“Robert is exactly facing what he exactly faced when he emerged as best candidate to be the Director, the same thing you continue to do, you forgot about the great things he has done to this beautiful country working day and night, you forgot about the empty factories he found but they are now all doing well , you took for granted the image of investment he has given to this country.”
In response, Minister Anite revealed that Museveni had advised her to forgive Mukiza, and that she had extended the same forgiveness to Manishimwe whom she said did not know what she was talking about.
“Just like the president advised me yesterday [June 19] to forgive Robert Mukiza and all those who tell lies about me, like he the President does to those who tell lies about him… my brother my answer to you is simple you are forgiven for you don’t know who Anite is,” the minister replied.
Recent trouble at UIA began after Minister Anite ordered Director General Robert Mukiza and other staff to cough over Shs500m they had received as cash award. (See Details Here).
