A recent directive by President Yoweri Museveni ordering senior government officials to step aside over alleged corruption in Uganda’s CCTV surveillance system has triggered renewed debate on the country’s anti-corruption efforts, with activist Melvin Masasira sharply questioning the President’s approach.
In a letter dated May 23, 2026, Museveni instructed three senior officials, including a permanent secretary and top police officers, to take forced leave for six months to pave way for investigations by the State House Anti-Corruption Unit.
The directive followed allegations of bribery and delayed payments tied to the maintenance of the national CCTV system.
However, Masasira argues that the President’s actions reflect a pattern of bypassing established institutions mandated to fight corruption.
“One thing nobody will ever convince me of is that Museveni is genuinely interested in fighting corruption,” Masasira said.
“He knows exactly which constitutional bodies exist to do this work. The IGG, the DPP, the Anti-Corruption Court, the CID, all of them are there, all of them are underfunded, all of them are deliberately kept weak.”
The activist criticised the continued reliance on parallel structures, particularly units operating under direct presidential control, instead of strengthening independent oversight bodies.
“Instead of empowering those institutions, he keeps creating parallel units outside the constitutional framework,” Masasira added.
“Units that answer directly to him, that operate without oversight, and that can be switched on or off depending on who he wants investigated and who he wants protected.”
The CCTV corruption case involves claims that officials demanded kickbacks before authorising payment to a private contractor, Dealan Associates Limited, which had reportedly completed work worth billions of shillings.
Museveni’s letter also directed that payments be processed and that individuals implicated in extortion face possible prosecution.
Despite these directives, Masasira maintains that the manner in which the process is being handled raises concerns about legality and consistency.
“A president directing forced leave and investigations through a letter to the Head of Public Service, bypassing every established legal process, is really not fighting corruption,” he said.
“It is simply managing it. Deciding personally who faces consequences and who does not.”
He further argued that corruption in Uganda operates as a political tool rather than a governance issue, alleging selective enforcement based on loyalty to the regime.
“Corruption under Museveni has never been a problem to be solved. It has always been a tool to be wielded,” Masasira claimed. “You keep your allies fed and complicit, and in return they stay loyal. The moment someone falls out of favour, suddenly their corruption file becomes urgent.”
Masasira cited past allegations involving senior political figures, arguing that action is often delayed until individuals become politically inconvenient.
“As long as Museveni is in power, corruption will not be fought,” he concluded. “It will be managed, rationed, and deployed as a weapon.”