It is no doubt that the Karamoja iron sheets saga has reignited hope that state and government institutions can function without or with minimal inference from the powers that be.
Indeed, I am overly joyed by how police, DPP, Court, etcetera, are handling the matter particularly arresting, charging and remanding senior members of the cabinet. The anticipation is that the President, who is their appointing authority, would block such, but alas, they have been left to carry their cross. That is the way to go for desired democracies.
But despite this development, we ought to jealously guard the saga from turning into a political warfare. That falsehoods, blackmail and misinformation against recipients take centre stage. Very unacceptable.
For example, social media has been awash with stories alleging that some ministers slept at Parliament the other day due to fear of being arrested – an outright lie and a sad fabrication perpetuated probably by political rivals of the recipients to discredit them in the constituencies, and also dent their reputation.
I know for a fact that at the time, the files of the said recipients were still being processed by police – they had not even been sent to the DPP for consideration, and yet their political rivals were up and about spreading lies against them.
Also, we should desist from being driven into believing that it was wrong for these government officials to receive iron sheets. Why? Because MPs and ministers have for years been applying for, and receiving relief items for their areas under affirmative action. It is not new.
What is wrong was first of all, to pick iron sheets meant for Karamoja and divert them to other parts of the country. The other wrong is receiving the sheets and use them on personal projects as it was the case for Hon Amos Lugoloobi.
Now, in the first case, did the recipients decide from which store of the OPM – whether that of Karamoja, Luweero Triangle, Teso or Rwenzori – should their share be got? Not at all. That is purely a responsibility of the OPM, which by the way reached out to the recipients to go and pick iron sheets.
It is important to note that all these relief items are only lebeled with ‘Office of the Prime Minister’ as the only mark. There is no lebel on them that distinguishes their store at the OPM and final destination. So, how did anyone expect the receipients, who requested as it is the practice, and was given, to tell that the iron sheets he or received were actually meant for Karamoja?
What the country needs now are thorough and conclusive investigations, free of bias, that will exonerate the innocent and punish the culprits as opposed to fabricating stories and blackmailing some of these recipients, whom by the way have done a great job in serving the interests of the common people.
The Writer is a Ugandan Journalist with passion for current African affairs.