The opposition legislators have asked Parliament to block the appointment of David Karemera as the new head of the State House Revenue Intelligence and Strategic Unit that will supervise the operations of the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).

The move was announced by the Leader of the Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi, on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, during a plenary session chaired by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa.

Ssenyonyi said the appointment of Kalemera, who was once convicted of corruption, to head a special anti-corruption authority in the revenue authority undermines the fight against corruption in Uganda.

He argued that appointing individuals with a criminal background in corruption cases sends a troubling message to the public.

“When we appoint corrupt people according to the court to fight corruption, people get agitated, said Ssenyonyi.

Ssenyonyi further questioned the rationale behind placing a convicted individual in charge of a unit designed to combat corruption.

He posed a rhetorical question: “Are we setting a thief to catch a thief?”

He also added that Kalemera has a history of tax fraud and corruption, as determined by the High Court.

President Museveni recently appointed Kalemera to head the State House Revenue Intelligence and Strategic Operations Unit, which will carry out oversight of the Uganda Revenue Authority and fight corruption within the tax administration system.