Uganda’s newly vetted Inspector General of Government (IGG), Justice Aisha Naluzze Batala, has pledged a tougher approach to corruption, signalling more aggressive prosecutions across the public sector.
‘It’s not going to be business as usual. Public servants should brace themselves. The team is ready to tackle corruption and revamp the institution (Inspectorate) and bring changes,’ Justice Naluzze said following her parliamentary vetting on Friday.
‘The task ahead is huge but we are ready,’ she added.
Justice Naluzze, who currently serves in the Land Division of the High Court, takes over an Inspectorate that has been without substantive leadership since the previous IGG, Beti Olive Namisango Kamya, left office late last month.
Kamya’s tenure drew praise for public advocacy on corruption but was criticised for limited action against high-profile government officials.
‘The team is big and we have a lot of strategies in stock especially to do with prosecution. One of our strategies is to do a lot of prosecution,’ Justice Naluzze emphasized.
Her appointment comes amid growing public pressure for accountability and stronger action against misuse of public funds in Uganda, where prosecutions of senior officials have often been minimal.
‘Justice Naluzze must resign’
Uganda Law Society (ULS) Vice President Anthony Asiimwe urged Justice Naluzze to resign from the Judiciary before assuming office, citing potential constitutional conflicts.
‘ULS welcomes the appointment of Judge Naluzze as IGG. Following her confirmation today by Parliament, ULS notes that her continuation in the Judiciary Service while serving as IGG would be unconstitutional,’ Asiimwe said in a statement on Friday.
He cited the Constitutional Court’s decision in Jim Muhwezi and 3 others v Attorney General and another (Constitutional Petition 10 of 2008), which held that appointing a sitting judge as IGG violates the separation of powers.
‘Section 20 of the Administration of the Judiciary Act requires a judicial officer appointed to an institution outside the Judiciary to apply for leave of absence without pay for no more than three years, or retire from the Judiciary. Given the four-year term of the IGG office, Judge Naluzze’s appointment effectively terminates her judicial office,’ Asiimwe added.
He warned that failure to resign prior to swearing-in could halt the operations of the Inspectorate and ‘leave a permanent blemish on her integrity.’
Justice Naluzze did not immediately respond to the ULS’ concerns.
Uganda’s IGG is constitutionally mandated to promote good governance and combat corruption in the public sector.
Observers say the new IGG faces high expectations to deliver on prosecutions, especially of high-profile officials, and strengthen the Inspectorate’s capacity, which has been constrained by interference.