National Unity Platform -NUP boss Robert Kyagulanyi has upto March 31st to declare the bulletproof car that he recently unveiled to the Inspector General of Government.
Upon receiving the declaration of the gift, the IGG will accordingly decide what is to be done with it, the options include letting Kyagulanyi keep the car. The Director – Leadership Code Annet Twine at the Inspectorate of Government told journalists on Wednesday that a leader who receives a gift by virtue of his or her position that is worth over 100,000 Uganda shillings is expected to declare it to the IG and a decision is taken on what to do with it. Kyagulanyi’s car is estimated to be worth at least 500 million shillings.
She however explained that there gifts which are exempted especially those given in a family or cultural setting. For example, when a leader receives bride price which may take different forms like cattle, they are not expected to declare it.
But the director went ahead to cite several recent examples of leaders who received expensive gifts and declared them to the state which took them over and put them to appropriate use. For example, President Museveni received 150,000 dollars and two Jeep vehicles as donations which declared in compliance with the law. The money and the vehicles were given to the Ministry of Health to help in the fight against Covid-19.
Twine said usually when leaders receive and declare expensive gifts which are of ornamental value or luxuries like perfumes and wines, they are allowed to keep them. Elected and leaders like Hon Robert Kyagulanyi are required expected to declare their assets and liabilities to the Inspectorate of Government within three months of taking office every two years thereafter, before midnight of the 31st day of March.
However, if their tenure of office ends with in six months after March, they do not have to make a fresh declaration. Kyagulanyi’s tenure as member of Parliament ends less than six months . But then having received the car gift before March 31st, the IGG might insist on taking him to task if he doesn’t declare it.
The IGG could also argue that KYagulanyi is still the elected leader of a registered national political party and as such must declare the gifts he receives in that capacity. The IGG may however weight the political cost of pursuing Kyagulanyi’s car gift, since there may be many other leaders who have not declared gifts worth 100,000 or more, and Kyagulanyi could accuse the Inspectorate of witch hunting him.
