Former Principal Road Safety Officer in the Ministry of Works and Transport, Ronald Amanyire, has sharply criticised the recent drone displays by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Air Force ahead of President Yoweri Museveni’s swearing-in ceremony, describing the entire event as an expensive political spectacle driven by financial interests rather than national necessity.
The drones, showcased days before the Tuesday inauguration, were presented as part of the state’s modern security and ceremonial capabilities.
However, Amanyire argues that such displays are being used to frame President Museveni’s continued leadership in overly dramatic terms, questioning the rationale behind what he calls a repetitive and costly national ritual.
“Why are we staging this as though President Museveni is being sworn in for the very first time? Like some grand liberation from imaginary colonial masters?” Amanyire posed, adding that the event masks deeper financial interests.
He further alleged that national ceremonies under the President’s watch have consistently been accompanied by inflated procurement processes, which he described as a “financial theatre” characterised by excessive spending and manipulation of state contracts.
According to him, what should be routine procurement processes are instead turned into opportunities for inflated pricing under direct procurement arrangements.
He claimed that instead of reducing costs through bulk purchasing, government spending during such events often escalates under opaque negotiations.
“In any rational market, bulk buying drives costs down. Here, government ‘negotiations’ magically push them upward,” he said, terming the trend a “perverse anomaly” that undermines accountability and public trust.
Amanyire also accused unnamed actors within the procurement chain of colluding with suppliers to inflate invoices, with proceeds allegedly shared among officials.
He claimed that subsequent audit reports, parliamentary debates, and media coverage often follow, but rarely lead to meaningful consequences.
He further alleged that accountability mechanisms are weakened by financial inducements distributed across institutions.
“The scandal doesn’t explode; it is smothered in cash,” he stated, suggesting that oversight bodies, media houses, and other stakeholders are compromised through what he described as systematic incentives.