At least 4,000 civil servants are under investigations by the office of the Inspectorate General of Government-IGG for failing to declare their wealth.
According to the Inspectorate of Government, the non-compliant officers are part of the 400,000 public servants and leaders across the country that are required to regularly declare their incomes, assets, and liabilities to the inspectorate.
Annet Twine Kyakunda, the Head of Policy and Systems at the Inspectorate of Government reveals that despite them appearing on the government’s payments roll, the non-complying public officers did not declare their assets before March this year, which was the deadline.
She says the inspectorate has commenced investigations on the non-compliant officers, who she says will be taken to the Leadership Code Tribunal.
In April this year, Parliament passed the Leadership Code Amendment Act 2021 which was eventually assented to by the President; to among other things harmonize the process of declaration of wealth and liabilities by public officers.
The new legislation added all public officers including leaders on the government’s payroll to the list of persons who are required to declare their wealth to the IGG every after two and five years for elected leaders and public officers on appointments respectively.
Twine explains that although the declaration process was simplified with the introduction of the online version, some of the public officers have failed to comply and did not communicate to Inspectorate, which required them to be investigated.
According to her, the officers whose declarations were not submitted before the April deadline risk being slapped with statutory punishments of late or non-declaration, which attracts dismissals from service and payment of a minimum fine of Shillings 400,000 per month, as may be determined by the tribunal.
Twine asked all Accounting Officers to ensure that they notify all the public servants below them about the urgency of complying with the requirement and where need be; withhold their emoluments until they conform to the law.
Munira Ali, the Inspectorate’s Spokesperson has asked the public officers to always seek clarifications from the IGG teams whom she says are always ready to offer support whenever the need arises.
She adds that they have also considered rolling out regional sensitization meetings of the concerned public servants to enable them to familiarize themselves with the online platform and steps of declaration as a way of improving compliance and saving them the penalties.
Nathan Lujumwa, the Chief Administrative Officer of Masaka district, where 36 officers are yet to comply says they have taken up the responsibility of reminding their staffs about their obligations. She however indicated that some of the highlighted persons could have resigned or terminated.
In 2020, President Yoweri Museveni swore in the new Leadership Code Tribunal chaired by Dr Roselyn Karugonjo Ssegawa, deputized by Asuman Kiyingi, and others Jane Arume, Didas Bakunza Mufasha and Joyce Nalunga.
