The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Arua, Uganda | URN | The Deputy Inspector General of Government (IGG), Dr Patricia Okiria, has warned that public officers and leaders who fail to declare their wealth by the end of April will be dragged to the Leadership Code Tribunal to answer a case of violating the Leadership Code Act.
Section 5 of the Leadership Code Act provides for all public officers and leaders to declare their assets, incomes, and liabilities after every five years for public officers, while leaders are expected to declare after every two years.
Speaking to Arua City Council officials, Okiria warned they risk breaching the law if they fail to declare their wealth by 30th April 2026. She warned that the failure would attract penalties to be preferred by the Leadership Code Tribunal.
Okiria explained that the declaration of assets, income, and liabilities by leaders and public officers enables members of the public to trust and have confidence in them as they lawfully accumulate wealth.
She was leading a team of officials from the Inspectorate of Government on a working visit in West Nile to create awareness and encourage local government staff on the declaration.
The Director Leadership Code at IGG, Joram Magezi, emphasized that officials who fail to declare wealth or those that under or over-declare risk being slapped with up to a sh40 million fine if found guilty, or other penalties may be added.
Charles Kabiri, the Deputy City Town Clerk of Arua City, is hopeful that the city will register good performance, as they conducted a series of sensitization using different platforms in previous months for the staff to be informed.
He identified announcements on local radio stations and letters addressed to heads of departments across the city, who equally notified staff at the different institutions established in the city.
Similarly, Arua City Deputy Mayor, Millicent Inzikuru, encouraged the staff to comply and made the declaration before and during the activities at the end of April.
Among other districts in West Nile that the team from IGG will visit to engage leaders on declaration include Maracha, Terego, Koboko, and Moyo districts to create awareness and encourage leaders and public officers.
