LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEADERS FACE DISMISSAL FOR FAILURE TO DECLARE THEIR WEALTH

Despite efforts by the Inspector general of government(IGG) putting a declaration period for all people in public offices at all levels to declare their assets, many local government employees have defied her orders.

The IGG Beti Kamya Turwomwe while addressing journalists at Uganda media centre about the status of the declaration of inome, Assets and Liabilities by public servants said that the Local Government Accounting Officers have stubbornly refused to declare their wealth and liabilities.

Kamya said that the Inspectorate of Government is identifying the errant leaders who have not submitted their declarations, to confirm their leadership positions or status of employment as well as establishing from their leaders if they had a justifiable cause for their non declaration.

” We shall commit the errant leaders to the Leadership Code Tribunal for action if found to be in breach of the Leadership Code Act.” Kamya said.

She also said that such leaders might have accumulate their wealth illegally and that is why they are hesitant to declare but the law will catch them and they may lose their jobs and be banned for holding any public office for a period of ten years or barred from standing for any elective position.

Declaration is a legal requirement under the constitution of the Republic of Uganda, 1995 and failure of any Leaders to declare means that they are in breach of the law.

A total of 31, 642 public servants registered and entered the system but 25,420 declared and this accounts for 81%. However 62, 220 did not even bother to register.

The IGG pointed out some challenges faced in the exercise which included among others, lack of updated database of leaders, something that delays the registration of the leaders in the online declaration system.

The low levels of Computer literacy particularly of Local Government leaders and public officers and its from this note that the IGG asks the Ministry for ICT to work with Local Governments so as to build the capacity of all Government employees to ensure that they are computer literate.

By George Bukenya

For any comment or story reach us on 0770 845082/ 0756 74 9901 or email: bgbukenya@gmail.com

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