UGANDA: What does Museveni's ISO do to deserve billions from taxpayers?

WHAT DOES MUSEVENI'S ISO DO TO DESERVE BILLIONS FROM TAXPAYERS!!!

CHANGE OF GUARDS - Immediately after capturing power 32 year ago, Museveni moved to legalize his intelligence outfit that was simply referred to as Civil Intelligence under the Presidents office. It had its origins from his Bush War and was obviously manned by serving soldiers.  He enacted the Security Organisations Act that saw the change of name to Internal Security Organization (ISO).  Its functions were "to collect, receive and process internal intelligence, advise and recommend to the President or any other authority as the President may direct."

Though manned by soldiers by training, service numbers and military ranks, ISO was made part of the Public Service.  However, it was  not subjected to Public Service regulations with regard to recruitment, deployment, promotion and dismissal.  It is only retirement that was subjected to Public Service regulations.  The main disciplinary measure against ISO staff has always been referring the affected staff to the Army Headquarters for redeployment.

Overtime ISO has excelled as a Museveni regime agency responsible for gathering information about political dissent and not state security.  Though the enabling Act prohibits ISO from carrying out arrests and detention with a penal sanction of ten years imprisonment, it has excelled in kidnaps, brutal arrests, torture and detention without trial.  It runs a number of ungazetted detention facilities (Safe Houses) among them the infamous Kyengera Safe House that is even allowing families of victims to pay a visit to secure release on the ISO bond.

ISO has departments like Political, Economic, Social,Technical, Military, etc headed by Directors who are the equivalent of Chiefs in the Army thus they too attend the Army Council.  ISO structures are overtly spread throughout the local government, cabinet, and other government agencies. From the regional level (RSOs), DISOs, GISOs, PISOs, VISOs up to the smallest family unit, ISO is overtly present.  Even in other government and non government agencies, ISO is covertly present.  With this widespread network, it would be assumed that the state would get timely and accurate intelligence of a social, economic and political nature from every section of society.  This intelligence would help formulation of policies that steer development and securing lives and property by detering crime.

Instead, the ISO officers at different levels and in different agencies are beneficiaries of rampant corruption, theft of public resources, abuse of office, poor service delivery etc.   The unresolved rising crime rate has been traced to security agencies including ISO.  With a lions share of the national budget, for the last 32 years ISO operatives are among the few regime functionaries who have made personal economic fortunes. The majority of the population live in abject poverty, are victims of poor service delivery and vulnerable to unsolved rampant crime rate.  ISO is preoccupied with ensuring the Museveni regime remains in power and nothing else.

In 1994 ISO massively sacked 1,204 of its operatives after their political loyalty was doubted.  They went to court and sued for arbitrary dismissal and sought for payment of their gratuity/terminal benefits.  The High Court awarded them shilllings 72.4b with a 10% interest per annum.  The regime manipulated the leadership of the claimants into an MOU and a consent order  whereby the amount was reduced to shilling 39b.  The greedy leaders formulated an association, Uganda Veterans ISO (UVETISO) on whose bank account the regime deposited shilling 10b as part payment. The intended beneficiaries received only shilling 3.3b while the balance of 6.7b was swindled by their leadership.

When the regime as usual dragged its feet to pay the balance, some beneficiaries disowned the earlier MOU and consent order, accused their leaders of swindling the shilling 10b and petitioned the Court of Appeal for an order compelling government to pay.  In June 2017 the Court of Appeal upheld the High Court ruling for payment of shillings 100b (inclusive of accumulated interest).  It also quashed the MOU signed by the treacherous leaders of the claimants arguing that an MOU cannot vary the orders of court.

ISO audit team has established that the genuine beneficiaries are entitled to get only shillings 18b.  The new leadership of the claimants is now seeking Museveni's intervention and threatening to sue the ISO Chief.

Being a regime agency rather than a state security agency, what does ISO do to deserve the taxpayer's money to that tune?

INFORMATION IS POWER AND THE PROBLEM OF UGANDA IS MUSEVENISM