The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The top stories in this week’s THE INDEPENDENT.
COVER STORY
BoU’s printing money saga: Behind Nakalema, Akullo investigation
THE LAST WORD
The tyranny of expert advice: Why Africans need to look beyond the oversimplification of our development challenges
HEALTH
Hepatitis B in Uganda: Country leads in tackling growing health challenge
NEWS ANALYSIS
EAC at 20: A look at the bloc’s state and DRC’s intention to join
COMMENT
Justice for journalists: Those who end up killed deserve justice for the sake of other journalists who risk their lives every day
ARTS
Art that cares: ‘We have lost our capacity to empathise; to ask what if it were me’
Thank you Haggai, for throwing more light to the BOU currency saga. The previous version was sketchy and it drew more questions than the answers. However, even with this improved version, there glaring questions that are left an answered.
1. Dr. Bazinzi is informed of an anomaly about the consignment, he informs the governor about it, then, they convene a meeting. What is it that convinces the governor BOU to call and report the case to the “Statehouse anti corruption unit” and not the police, Interpol, the financial intelligence authority (FIA), ISO?
2. Why does it take almost two months- from “identification” of crime to its “reporting?” Remember, in the Independent’s earlier version, it was stated that President Museveni had “preferred” to keep the scandal under “wraps!”
3. The scandal took/underwent a number of stages.
I) There is a committee that “initiated” the process of asking for the printing of new notes. So, for how much did it recommend?
ii) Who verified the “procurement” process?
iii) At the “placement” of the BOU “order”, did the BOU at Head office, make a ” misrep”/confirm to the contractor on the amount of the order? Did/ does the figure Tally?
iv) If at this stage there is “compliance”, then, what could have happened later? Did the BOU procurement committee bring up “another” requirement for “more” currency? Is there proof of the same in a similar and familiar mode known to BOU?
4. Why has the BOU investigations zeroed on only Kakeeto, Wanyama and Malinga when oberthur fudiciaire (the contractor) has by “implication” “accepted” to “breach” of contract when they indicated to Dr. Bazinzi whether a 10% compensation would be worthy for the “inconvenience caused?” If we are to draw deeper in as to why the three men are the only reprimanded, then, we can’t stop to ask why aren’t the other “handlers” at the various stages of the consignment/cargo are still at large? Or, why aren’t the “known formal” government and international “investigative departments/organizations” like, the police (CIID, Interpol), FIA take the more centre stage than the “one manned/womanned” statehouse anti corruption unit of Judith Nakalema?
5. Why don’t we see action taken against the Currier company and the insurance?
6. Why don’t we see action taken against the URA for at least clarify and also “declare” the contents contained in the four extra pallets. This will mollify the public anxieties and also reaffirm URA’s public confidence.
7. Why don’t we see action taken against the owners of the extra pallets? They are public figures who can be easily accessed.
The BOU investigation has taken on a more rudimentary style than a scientific one. It is “designed” to “conceal” more than needs to be “revealed.” There is more “hardware” to it than the “software!”