National Unity Platform president Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine must declare his armoured (bulletproof) car donation by March 31, 2021, else it becomes government property, the acting Inspector General of Government (IGG) George Bamugemereire has warned.
Last week, Kyagulanyi excited his local supporters when he declared on social media that his supporters living abroad had bought him an armoured vehicle to help him get through a violent campaign period. Now, Bamugemereire says where a leader fails to or refuses to justify why they are entitled to the donation in question, it becomes government property. Bamugemereire, says that like any leader, Kyagulanyi is expected to declare the vehicle, whether it was donated of bought by himself.
Bamugemereire said Kyagulanyi still being a leader of a political party registered under Ugandan laws, like any other leader, he's expected to periodically declare his wealth, irrespective of how it was acquired.
"People acquire property all the time, you know, and they have many ways - some have businesses. All we require of leaders is that come 31st March, please declare the assets, income and liabilities that you have acquired or assets that you have disposed off…That issue will be an issue after 31st March because all leaders are required to do now is to declare. What assets they acquired and how they got it. So I think that discussion should be conducted in April. If you have any leader in mind, me I don't any," said Bamugemereire.
The Leadership Code Act 2002 of Uganda compels all leaders to periodically declare their wealth, while a gift worth 10 currency points in value or Shs 200,000, is supposed to be declared immediately. An internet search shows that Kyagulanyi's new Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle costs from $85,000 (Shs 310m), while an armoured one goes for between $395,000 and $450,000 (about Shs 1.4 billion), depending on the features.
The director, Leadership Code Annet Twine says once a leader gets a donation, that leader is expected to declare it there and then.
"What is provided for under Section 10 of the Leadership Code Act is that every leader, if you receive a gift in the course of your duties, you declare it there and then and they don't give a time limit. So this leader who continues even to be a leader as the head of a political party is going to fill a declaration up to 31st March. So we're going to wait until he has submitted his declaration and then we shall see how he explains how he acquired the sources of income. If it is a donation, there is a provision in the form where you declare such property and explain the donation and where it came from. That is not a big issue now until the declaration period ends by 31st March 2021," said Twine.
Kyagulanyi also said that even the bulletproof jacket and ballistic helmets he was wearing during campaigns were bought by his supporters. He said he received several bulletproof jackets that he gave to some of his supporters and aides who were in the line of danger. He said if he hadn't been wearing the bulletproof helmet, "the story would have been different" when they were shot at in Masaka.
Kyagulanyi supporters couldn't hide their excitement as new bulletproof vehicle arrived at the party headquarters in kamwokya @observerug pic.twitter.com/zGvUiJYSki
— Nicholas Bamulanzeki (@bamulanzeki) February 22, 2021
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