A senior official in Uganda’s Ministry of Works and Transport has publicly challenged President Yoweri Museveni’s renewed anti-corruption pledge, citing years of alleged inaction on a high-value graft case he reported.
Ronald Amanyire, Principal Road Safety Officer, issued a detailed statement expressing frustration shortly after the President assured Members of Parliament in Kyankwanzi that his next term would not tolerate corruption.
Amanyire, however, described the commitment as “exhausting,” arguing that past assurances have failed to yield results.
He revealed that in November 2022, he filed a formal whistleblower complaint under the Whistleblowers Protection Act, presenting evidence to the Inspectorate of Government.
According to Amanyire, the then Deputy Inspector General, Patricia Okiria, initially engaged him but later failed to act, despite assurances that investigations were underway.
The officer said he escalated the matter internally in March 2023, formally notifying the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary and copying relevant ministers.
Instead of action, he claims he faced intimidation and was subsequently sidelined from his role.
Further attempts to trigger investigations included a report to the Criminal Investigations Directorate led by Tom Magambo.
Amanyire acknowledged that CID took preliminary steps, including document reviews and interviews, and requested a forensic audit from the Auditor General.
However, he said progress stalled after the case was forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in October 2025.
Despite follow-ups, he claims he has received no feedback from prosecutors. “Why should a whistleblower chase criminal case files?” he posed, questioning institutional commitment to tackling large-scale corruption.
Amanyire alleges that the case involves procurement irregularities worth nearly 60 billion Ugandan shillings, now possibly exceeding 100 billion due to continued inaction.
He further claims that implicated individuals remain in positions of influence, with contracts allegedly still being awarded to entities linked to the accused.
He also disclosed attempts to escalate the matter to State House through former deputy presidential press secretary Irene Mugisha, but said no action followed.
The official credits Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka for intervening when he faced removal from office, but maintains that the broader system has failed to protect whistleblowers.
While expressing loss of faith in official anti-corruption efforts, Amanyire noted he still holds “some hope,” referencing perceived reforms within the military under Muhoozi Kainerugaba.