By Spy Uganda
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has ordered top government officials and ministers that received the iron sheets meant for reformed warriors (Karachunas) in the Karamoja region, to immediately return them.
In her letter dated 7th April 2023, Nabbanja says she received orders from her boss President Yoweri Museveni directing all Ministers who took the iron sheets to return them.
“The iron sheets that were taken by leaders and are still having them in their stores, let them be returned or pay the valuable amount of money,” Nabbanja said.
Museveni on Tuesday while responding responding to commentators on social media blamed the Ministers of their ruthless act.
“Those who diverted the mabaati but not for personal use, must pay back the equivalent value in money or return the mabaati for the Karachuna, so that, that programme goes on,” the president said.
He added, “On many occasions, I have told leaders not to try and carry their Constituents on their heads financially (kubetikka) but show the families how to use the NRM programmes (NAADS, OWC, PDM, etc.) and make their own money.”
The president said this is one of the problems with the political class, where some of them have not internalized the NRM line on social-economic transformation and they, opportunistically, try to do the cheap popularity of fund-raising, giving mabaati, giving big numbers of bursaries, etc.
“They end up with debts and desperate efforts to look for donations, efforts that can lead into mistakes of being tempted to divert what is meant for A to B,” he said.
Museveni added that this is a political mistake that can also be subversive.
“As you will see from my letter to the Prime Minister. That mistake, however, is totally different from converting those items to personal use. That is no longer just a mistake, but theft. Therefore, Kugonza do not worry, all those involved will be handled appropriately.”
