By Kabuye Ronald
Uganda’s President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has directed for suspension of Democratic Governance Facility (DGF) fund worth £100 million (UGX500.8 billion) over operating irregularly and financing subversive activities in the country.
In his letter dated 2nd January 2021 letter to the minister of finance Matia Kasaija, President Museveni directed him to suspend the DGF fund until it has been fully reviewed by cabinet. He also directed the IG, IGP, DPP and Anti-corruption unit to fully investigate the matter.
“I am therefore directing you to immediately, suspend the activities of this fund, until the cabinet has fully reviewed this matter and a new governance structure in which the elected representatives of the people of Uganda have appropriate oversight, has been put in place and approved by me.
By copy of this letter, the Inspectorate of Government, the Inspector General of Police, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions and the Statehouse Anti-Corruption Unit should investigate this matter to establish the culpability of the concerned Government Officials” he said
President Museveni questioned how the Ministry of Finance under the hand of the Permanent Secretary, irregularly and unilaterally authorized a £100 million fund, known as the Democratic Governance Facility, to be operated exclusively by a foreign mission in Uganda without Government having no say or oversight on how the Democratic Governance Facility is administered in Uganda unlike prior grant arrangements like the Democratic Governance and Accountability project in which there was transparency and representations of government.
“The foreign mission and its co-funders have been given free rein by the Ministry of Finance to choose which activity, entities and amounts to finance without the knowledge or consent of the Government. Indeed, a big percentage of these funds have been used to finance activities and organisations designed to subvert Government under the guise of improving governance
I have also established that last year, the Ministry of Finance made a belated and feeble attempt to get a Government Representative on the Board of this fund which would have been of little consequence anyway. However, you were quickly an arrogantly rebuffed by the foreign mission because apparently as you were reminded by that foreign mission, the exclusive management of the fund lies with them and oversight is by the foreign co-funders, exclusively
How is it possible that the Ugandans whose affairs are being dealt with here, can only be spectators in the management of their own affairs? This is not the financing of a private business but the funding of state and non-state actors to achieve the political objectives of the funders in Uganda. How and why did the Ministry finance, unilaterally make such a major decision with far-reaching consequences, let alone, one whose effect is to surrender the sovereignty of the people of Uganda to foreigners? Was this a result of subversion, corruption or criminal negligence or all of these? Why wasn’t the Cabinet and I consulted?” Museveni wondered
The Democratic Governance Facility (DGF) was established in July 2011 by eight Development Partners including Austria, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom and the European Union.
