DA’s Mpuuga Speaks To VoA, Backs Kamya’s Public Asset Declaration Plan
Kampala/Washington
Mathias Mpuuga, the coordinator of the Democratic Alliance (DA), has backed a proposal by Inspector General of Government (IGG) Beti Kamya to require all public officials to publicly declare their assets, aiming to strengthen the fight against corruption in Uganda.
Speaking on Nightline Africa, a 60-minute news magazine show aired on Voice of America (VoA) in Washington on March 9, 2025, Mpuuga emphasized that the IGG can still achieve her goals within the existing legal framework.
“The inspectorate of Government, legally on paper, is well empowered to act within their power to ensure that public officers are transparent in the declaration of their assets,” Mpuuga said.
Mpuuga noted that the Access to Information Act and the Inspectorate Act allow any member of the public to access the nature and manner of declaration of assets of any public officials.
The Nyendo-Mukungwe MP and Parliamentary Commissioner expressed his willingness to join a group of public officials to fight graft through public declaration of assets.
“I have no problem with the demand of any public officer being open about what they own, and how they acquired it,” he said.
Mpuuga stressed that corruption in Uganda is deeply entrenched and that as the regime uses it for political patronage, some opposition leaders uses it as a survival machinery leave alone being corrupt themselves.
“As long as we do not overcome political patronage, there is no volume of legislation that will help to deal with corruption. Corruption here [in Uganda] is a way of life because politics has allowed it to be as such. Therefore, the first thing to act on is political will,” Mpuuga said, “as long as you have a regime that hinges on allowing corruption to prevail is part of its mainstay. So legislation can only stay on paper and in action can be improbable that can change the way corruption is viewed and prosecuted in this country.”
On accusing some opposition leaders of being corrupt, he revealed that some of them own properties abroad that they fail to publicly declare.
“I am aware of particularly some opposition leaders that have assets abroad and then pretend that they have nothing, but of course, we want to know what they have as part of engendering utmost transparency. The opposition has a duty, and I agree we probably have a bigger duty to the population to even challenge regime supporters about transparency,” Mpuuga said.
He asserted, “the opposition has a duty, and I agree we probably have a bigger duty to the population to even challenge regime supporters about transparency.”
Mpuuga’s comments come as the IGG calls for a constitutional amendment to publish the assets of top government officials publicly. Beti Kamya believes this measure will provide Uganda with clear oversight information needed to combat corruption.
As a Member of Parliament whom the news magazine host referred to as a “prominent opposition figure in Uganda, Mpuuga plans to approach his colleagues to come up with transparency and accountability measures to fight corruption.
“I would encourage myself and colleagues to move fast and make our assets publicly known,” he said.