Ugandan President Gen Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni has described as ‘pigs,’ all government officials, including members of District Service Commissions, who sell jobs for money and sex.
Gen Museveni was speaking the 37th anniversary of the National Resistance Army (NRA) power capture. It is the NRA war, which left hundreds of thousands (mostly in the Luweero Triangle) dead, that led to Museveni’s ascension to power. Since then, Museveni has ruled Uganda for 37 years.
Diagnosing the problem of Africa as leaders who overstay in power in his ascension speech, Museveni has since clung onto power in the impoverished landlocked East African nation. By the end of his current term, the 78-year-old will have ruled Uganda for a cool four decades, and his son, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, seems set to succeed him.
One of the problems that has bedeviled the Museveni National Resistance Movement (NRM) government is corruption. Every year, a huge piece of the national budget is stolen by well connected and untouchable officials, some of whom are linked to the first family. Across the country, service delivery remains poor, and citizens have to part with bribes to access services that should ideally be offered free of charge.
Anti-corruption groups have accused the Museveni administration of paying lip service to the fight against graft, speaking too much and doing little or nothing to end theft of government funds.
The president has now described the corrupt officials in entities such as District Service Commissions as ‘pigs,’ a term he normally uses to describe terrorists. Museveni vowed to catch these pigs, including those who ask for sex and money to give them government jobs, and throw them in Luzira.
“Corruption is going to be stamped out. I have heard about District Service Commissions selling local government jobs and others asking for sex to give jobs. Luzira Prison has abundant space for such pigs. Bring on the evidence and we roast those pigs,” said Museveni at the NRA Liberation anniversary in Kakumiro District, home to Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja.
“I have heard of girls being sexually exploited to get jobs, please get evidence and we roast those pigs! How can this continue happening? The DISOs and police should be put on notice, we can’t continue with this corruption.”
A few months ago, it emerged that top officials from the Education Service Commission had pocketed money from some teachers (with each paying about Shs2m) before including them on the list of those who were given payroll jobs. (See Details HERE).
