The National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED) party has asked the government of Uganda to put more emphasis on fighting corruption rather than merging the different government agencies.

While addressing members of the press on February 5, 2024, at their party headquarters in Rubaga division, Kampala city, party Secretary General Asuman Odaka said that the government loses over Ugx10 trillion every year in corruption, and this is where the government efforts should be.

“We are trying to save one trillion Uganda shillings by merging agencies, but we are still losing 10 trillion Uganda shillings per year in corruption. So where should the government focus its efforts? Odaka asked.

“Yes, we are going to save Ugx1 trillion. Saving is good, but we are not being told, as we save from these mergers, where are we going to put the money? We don’t want a scenario where we save one trillion and add it to the wasteful expenditures of President Museveni,” Odaka added.

Odaka’s remarks come after the National Resistance Movement caucus met at the State House Entebbe on Friday, February 3, 2024, and agreed that the ruling party MPs should support the enactment of the legislation in parliament.

In November last year, parliament rejected the Rationalisations of Government Agencies (Repeals and Amendments) Bill 2023.

However, the government Chief Whip, Hamson Obua, has confirmed that after the interaction with President Museveni and the Minister of Public Service, the ruling party MPs reached a unanimous consensus to support the re-enactment of the bill.