The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Inspector General of Government-IGG wants the Leadership Code Act, 2017 amended.
Introduced in 1992, the Leadership Code Act last amended in 2017 by parliament sets limits on the financial behaviour of public servants; require leaders to declare their incomes, assets and liabilities and put in place enforcement mechanism and other matters.
Appearing before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee on Wednesday, Justice Irene Mulyagonja regretted the most recent amendment of the law that removed the requirement by leaders to declare wealth of their spouses and children or dependents.
The category of targeted leaders ranged from the President, Cabinet Ministers, civil servants and local council leaders.
She told the committee that this move means that illicitly acquired assets can be conveniently registered in the names of spouses, children or dependents of the leaders without question.
Mulyagonja appealed to parliament to look at the Act again and see that there is harmonization of actions against corruption.
However, she told the committee that the Inspectorate in the coming financial year 2019/2020 will increase compliance to the Leadership Code Act by improving capacity to verify declarations, increase capacity to investigate and prosecute breaches of the Code and rolling out E-system for declarations.
Kitagwenda County MP Agaba Abbas supported amendment of the Leadership Code Act saying that there was no need for spouses and dependents of leaders to be inconvenienced.
Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee Chairperson, Jacob Markson Oboth said that if government wants further amendment to the Act, his committee will be able to handle it and report to parliament.
Meanwhile, Mulyagonja also noted that the current asset recovery laws are inadequate in addressing asset recovery since they lack legal provisions on civil asset recovery, specific procedure to follow on recovery of proceeds of crime and that there is no specific provision or time frame within which to pay or realize the illicitly acquired assets.
She revealed to the committee that her office is working with the Directorate of Ethics and Integrity (DEI) to prepare a Bill upon which the proposed proceeds of crime law shall be based.
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