Once again, Uganda’s government has shown its unrivaled mastery in one thing: corruption. The $15 million heist, a brazen theft of international debt payments, is not merely a scandal—it is a national disgrace. At its rotten core lies a Ministry of Finance that has become a cesspool of deceit, incompetence, and outright thievery. Let’s be clear: this was not a “hack,” as the ever-lying regime would have us believe. This was an insider job, orchestrated by the very individuals entrusted to safeguard Uganda’s financial interests.
The damning PricewaterhouseCoopers audit doesn’t mince words—this crime was birthed within the Ministry of Finance. Payment instructions meant for reputable institutions like the World Bank and African Development Bank were intercepted, manipulated, and rerouted to dubious foreign accounts. Yet, the Ministry now has the audacity to question the credibility of this investigation. What else could they do? Admitting guilt would open the floodgates to expose the entire cartel of thieves operating under the guise of public servants.
The entire scheme reeks of high-level complicity. Payment instructions tampered with before encryption, spoofed emails slipping through checks, and funds rerouted to shell companies—this was no amateur act. It required access, clearance, and knowledge only insiders could possess. And what does Junior Finance Minister Henry Musasizi call this grand theft? A “hack.” Hack, my foot! This was calculated plunder, executed with the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel, leaving no doubt about the Ministry’s complicity.
And where does the Bank of Uganda stand in all this? Hiding behind a flimsy defense of being “merely a paying entity.” This is laughable. If the BoU was worth its salt, how did these fraudulent instructions pass through their systems unchecked? Their indifference only underscores the systemic rot within Uganda’s institutions. At every level, accountability has become an alien concept.
President Museveni’s response is as predictable as it is pathetic—ordering investigations that will yield nothing. How can a regime built on corruption investigate itself? The so-called multi-agency probe is a circus act meant to distract the public while the masterminds cover their tracks. If Museveni had any genuine interest in justice, half his cabinet, including Finance Ministry officials, would be behind bars today. Instead, names of suspects are being withheld “pending further investigation,” a thinly veiled strategy to shield the real perpetrators.
The theft itself is just a symptom of a larger disease. The Integrated Facility Management System, a supposed pillar of transparency, has been reduced to a playground for cybercriminals. But don’t be fooled—this failure isn’t due to technological vulnerabilities alone. It stems from a deliberate weakening of oversight structures to enable theft. After all, in Museveni’s Uganda, accountability is the enemy of the ruling elite.
This heist is a stark reminder of how low Uganda has sunk under its kleptocratic leadership. The $15 million wasn’t just money; it was a lifeline for development projects, stolen by the very people who claim to serve Ugandans. The Ministry of Finance and its cronies are not just enablers of theft—they are the criminals. Until this regime is dismantled, Uganda will remain a playground for thieves masquerading as leaders.
Discussion about this post