Mulyagonja: Public to start verifying wealth of central bank, OPM officials

The Inspector General of Government (IGG) has said the general public will, starting this year, be involved in verifying the wealth and assets of some government officials.

The move, according to Justice Irene Mulyagonja, follows that obscene amassing of wealth by officials of Bank of Uganda (BoU), ministries of Health and Finance as well as those of the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).

According to the Leadership Code Act 2002, mid-level to senior managers at Bank of Uganda are mandated to declare their wealth – including income, assets and liabilities.

BoU deputy governor Luis Kasekende’s declared that he earned an annual salary of Shs559,089,748 from the central bank on top of Shs162,098,748 in allowances, which totals to Shs721,946,748 or Shs60m per month. He also claimed other sources of his funds as rental income and pension from AFDB and BoU.

Then, the IGG’s office kick started a comprehensive probe into the wealth of senior BoU officials including Justine Bagyenda, who was the central bank’s former director of commercial banks supervision.

Bagyenda’s wealth leaked in March 2018, indicated that she had Shs19 billion on three different bank accounts.

Mulyagonja, who was speaking at the launch of the 2019 online declaration period, said her office has on several occasions received complaints about the wealth of some public officials which seems suspicious.

“This financial year, the Inspectorate of Government is verifying all leaders in Bank of Uganda, Ministry of Finance, OPM and Ministry of Health. Other ministries, institutions, Local Government and agencies will be brought on board later and we shall be involving the public in the exercise,” she said, before reminding those mandated to declare their assets and liabilities that the deadline was March 31.

“This time round wants to compare and see whether what the officials have declared is what is exactly what the locals in the areas of their respective residences know of what they won.”