Behind ISO's public disclosure of Intel report on poor service delivery - #Museveni #Uganda

Museveni's Internal Security Organisation (ISO) was set up by an Act of Parliament in 1987 as a covert Internal Security Spy agency. It traces its origin from the Bush War where it was referred to as Civil Intelligence (CI) as opposed to Military Intelligence (MI). Upon taking over of power, CI became President's Office and was housed at the Parliamentary Building before relocating to the home of the former Iddi Amin's dreaded State Research Bureau (SRB) at Nakasero and baptized ISO.

Right from its inception, ISO's mandate has been supplementary to MI in ensuring the survival of the Museveni regime. It’s only a few years ago when Museveni developed distrust in ISO owing to alleged infiltration by his political rival and former Prime Minister, Amama Mbabazi. Consequently, the organisation suffered a blow in terms of resource allocation as Museveni shifted reliance on Military Intelligence (CMI) and Gen. Kalekyezi's quasi intelligence outfits under the Police. The then ISO Director General, Brig. Ronnie Balya plainly told the parliamentary committee on Defence and Internal Affairs that the organisation was grossly handicapped in terms of resources. In August 2016, he again presented a stinging paper at a regime cabinet and MP's retreat at its indoctrination centre in Kyankwanzi, attacking the regime's endemic corruption.

In his landmark presentation, Brig. Balya made it categorically clear that; "......corruption can lead to loss of legitimacy and trust in government. Because of corruption, disenchanted citizens can resort to mass demonstrations, violence and mob Justice; in some countries governments have collapsed because of this. The failure to provide, monitor and evaluate service delivery, could result in undesirable situations; including political dissent, rebellion, demonstrations, attempting violent regime change/coup or any form of instability." That was the considered opinion of the then DG/ISO who also doubles as the Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC). The disgruntled DG's stinging attack on pervasive graft and deteriorating service delivery by the military regime took Museveni by surprise. He had been unmasked and undressed. Four months later in January 2017 he sacked Brig. Balya and replaced him with retired Maj. Kaka Bagyenda whom he elevated to the rank of Colonel.

Public outcry over preferential remuneration of Museveni's cohorts who dominate some strategic lucrative government agencies has since then been on the increase. A number of industrial actions by sections of vital government agencies has been on the increase. Museveni woke up from the deep slumber and hypocritically questioned the viability of the too many duplicate government agencies in form of parastatals and authorities. He is the one who had deliberately formed them to enrich his cohorts among other selfish motives. On 28th August 2017, this website ran an article titled; "BEHIND MUSEVENI'S U-TURN ON STATUTORY AUTHORITIES/AGENCIES."



In July 2017, the now panicky Museveni tasked ISO to get for him information on how much money the government was spending on ministries and agencies. He also tasked public service to make a review of remuneration of public and civil servants with view of harmonising the disparities. Last month ISO submitted its findings to Museveni but in a turn of events the same organisation called a press conference and lay bare the same report to the public. The report which covered the last financial year, 2016/2017 unearthed astronomical wasteful expenditures on non-essential issues.

Trillions of taxpayer's money is swindled through the so-called consultancy, workshops, transport, entertainment, welfare, etc. by the usual suspects, State House, Defence, KCCA, URA, UNRA, EC, NITA etc. Its everybody's guess who are the people dominating these regime entities. Interestingly, the reports specifically question the logic behind expenditure of 483b shillings by 17 different government departments and agencies among them KCCA, NFA, OPM, SH, Police to supply agricultural inputs yet there is the Ministry of Agriculture.

Since its inception, ISO has been carrying out its mandate covertly and reporting to Museveni. The public has never been privy to its intelligence reports. Its head office has been a no-go area for members of the public including the press. Last week's press conference was the first of its kind and it must have been authorised by no one else other than Museveni. The motive is simple; to hoodwink Ugandans that this time around Museveni is serious with fighting graft as he buys time while containing the persistent pressure from potential industrial action. Otherwise, he has always not only been fully aware of these wasteful expenditures by these government departments and agencies, but a direct beneficiary. Different anti graft agencies like ISO, IGG, PPDA, SH Monitoring Unit, Police, DPP, relevant parliamentary committees, but more so the Auditor General, have all been reporting on state sponsored graft and poor service delivery.

INFORMATION IS POWER AND DEFIANCE IS THE WAY TO GO