Museveni Reiterates Threat to Crush Corrupt Politicians and Civil Servants

President Yoweri Museveni has for the umpteenth time threatened to crush politicians and civil servants that are involved in corruption scandals.

He said this during the State of the Nation Address at Kololo Ceremonial grounds on Thursday. He explained that eliminating corruption in the public service and from among the political leaders was one of their tasks.

“I have been getting good information about corrupt actors among the public servants but also among the political actors. With firm evidence, I will crash these traitors. Public servants and political leaders that steal Government money are corrupt and will be crushed. There are, however, other actors, that get bribes from foreigners to work for foreign interests,” he warned.

The president added that these other are both corrupt and traitors and that government is monitoring their activities. If they do not stop; and with evidence, he will deal with them.

As part of fighting corruption, President Museveni said that it is crucial to save the amateurish political actors who come into politics without knowing that leading people does not mean carrying them on your head. It means that you show them the way.

“The situation of the inexperienced, careerist minded leaders who do not listen to the advice of the NRM, is further complicated by the blood thirsty parasites in the form of the unregulated money lenders who charge extortionate interest rates from these desperate political actors when they come to borrow money for unuseful expenditures. I have already directed the Minister of Finance to cap the interest rates chargeable by money lenders,” he added.

According to the President, the inflation rate in Uganda is 3%. “Why should the commercial Banks charge 20% interest? How about the money lenders charging 36% or more? This is pure extortion. The PDM and Emyooga funds are going to become the poor people’s banks, able to lend at 12% or less after 24 months. I have already directed the Attorney – General to guide the Minister of Finance as to how he can criminalize this extortion.”

He further noted that the other source of corruption has been the fund raising that is born mainly by the opportunistic politicians, over anxious to please parts of their electorate,
by pledging money for those fund-raisings that they do not have. We are due to meet to resolve this diversion.

He therefore said that Uganda’s economy and society, are moving forward, the mistakes by some actors notwithstanding.

“The foreigners interfering in our internal affairs, are not a threat at all. I have written a piece; I will share with the Ugandans on that. The real threat to Africa’s progress, have been internal weaknesses, such as undermining the Private sector (Amin, expelling the Asians, Nakivubo announcements, etc.), wrong concept of Army building, sectarianism, corruption, etc.”

The president argued that Africa’s ability to defeat the imperialists, had been demonstrated by Samora Machel defeating the entire Portuguese Army in Mozambique in 1974, Robert Mugabe and ZANU, defeating the Ian Smith regime in 1980 in Zimbabwe, the Cuban Army comprised mainly of Black soldiers, defeating the white Boer Army at Cuito Cuanavale in Angola in 1988, etc.

“It is our internal weaknesses that have, since that time, given the impression that Africa is weak. NRM has correct philosophical (private-sector led efforts), Ideological (the politics of interests and not Identity – anti-sectarianism) and strategic (wealth creators and integration to create market for their products) positions. That is why the economy is growing in spite of the betrayal by the parasites. With the crashing of the corruption, Uganda, given our overall correct positions, is unstoppable. Everything else is in place.”