Museveni Urges Judiciary To Deny Bail To Corruption Suspects

In a bold move to intensify the fight against corruption, President Yoweri Museveni has again, urged the judiciary to deny bail to suspects accused of corruption.

This directive was issued during a 7-day retreat ongoing at the National Leadership Institute Kyankwanzi, where the President is meeting with Ministers, government technocrats, and members of NRM’s Central Executive Committee to draw fresh strategies to combat corruption.

“We should easily defeat the corruption. The only support we need from the Judiciary is no bail for those accused of murder, treason, terrorism, rape, defilement, corruption (embezzlement), and village thefts if the prosecution is ready for trial,” Museveni, told the retreat.

Museveni posted his statement on X formerly Twitter, affirming, “let the case be tried or use alternative justice but no bail and no impunity for the above cases,” he said.

He urged the judiciary to support his government by placing corruption (especially embezzlement) in the category of offenses that are not considered for bail. “With a correct, revolutionary, and objective approach, we should easily defeat corruption,” said Museveni.

The President’s tough stance on corruption is a significant shift from the past, where corruption cases often dragged on for years, with suspects released on bail and often failing to appear in court.

By denying bail to corruption suspects, the President aims to ensure that those accused of graft are held accountable and do not have the opportunity to flee or tamper with evidence, and is move is seen as a significant step towards tackling the pervasive corruption that has plagued the country for years.

However, there is a general belief that the president has weakened the IGG’s office by appointing parallel institutions to perform the same mandate.

His latest creation of a new unit to oversee operations of URA has been widely criticized after appointing David Kalemera who was convicted of falsifying customs documents to evade taxes by the Anti-corruption in 2022. The conviction followed earlier dismissal from URA, in 2017.

However, without referring to Kalemera, Museveni told his ministers that because accounting officers had let themselves down, he had decided to come in indirectly to fight those who steal government funds.

“Apart from the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, I am also setting up both a tax investigation Unit and an accountancy and audit unit. They will be able to investigate all tax evasions, under-declarations, money diverted by Parliament and stolen, etc,” he said.

Museveni said in creating parallel structures, he seeks to link directly with the victims of the corruption of the Government people.

“They have all the information. Besides, we have the young people, the Kampala Parents and allied Products, who have a different attitude from the present accounting officers who are originally villagers with a careerist and mercenary mentality. The Kampala Parents group is moved more by “passion” than by “remuneration,” Museveni noted.

On MPs’ Salaries

Over the years, Museveni has been accused of playing blind while the legislative arm of government increased its salaries especially after the Parliamentary Commission was created.

“I opposed but did not block because it is not always correct to block everything you consider a mistake. It is better, sometimes, to oppose but also allow people to learn from their mistakes or for the issue at hand to be clearer,” Museveni explained.

He added that the mistake by elements in the Parliament could not have been solved correctly at that time.

Museveni noted that it was better that the MPs learn from their own mistakes, preserve the unity of the Movement, and give him time to improve the geostrategic situation of the region with Mobutu’s Congo, Bashir’s Sudan, Mzee Moi in Kenya who would sometimes close our borders, as well as still having a young Army that needed metamorphosis.

“Besides, the MPs, unlike the other Public Servants, were not very many in number. Their disruption was in the bad example and not in the magnitude of the money involved. They have now learned that mistake. That is why fund-raising is now very unpopular among MPs,” said will help the government close revenue leakages and boost tax collection.