Ugandan 'Aids scam' trial begins

http://africanviewpoint.blogspot.com The BBC News, reports that Retired Major-General and former Ugandan Health Minister Jim Muhwezi, together with former senior government officials-deputies, Captain Mike Mukula, Dr Alex Kamugisha and former state house official Alice Kaboyo- are on trial in Kampala for embezzling nearly $4.3m (£2.15m) and abusing their offices. It is alleged that they misused grants from the Global Alliance for Vaccinations and Immunizations and the Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Because of this misuse, the Global Fund halted $150m of grants to Uganda. A close ally of President Yoweri Museveni, General Muhwezi is no stranger to the controversy of the wild hand that reaps where it never sowed. He lost his ministerial portfolio as state minister for primary education in the 1990s following an investigation over his personal wealth. However, he was recycled as minister of health in 2001, before being dropped from the cabinet following the investigations into the fate of the Global Fund money granted to Uganda.
.........Reading this story, I wonder how many such crimes have gone unpunished in most of Africa. But more importantly, it amazes me how, in the midst of epidemics such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and general poverty, thieves are not only allowed to roam the streets in chauffeured cars exhibiting a vast ideology of superiority over their fellow citizens, but also recycled into positions of power as if to congratulate them for stealing from a fund to stop deaths. Is it that some of the leaders entrusted with the privilege to lead and fire these thieves are also drinking from the same fountain of ill-gotten wealth? It is not difficult to imagine that a compromised leader loses the moral authority to reprimand a subordinate for stealing if they themselves are dipping with the devil. Or may be the leaders are in fact the bigger devils and the thieves below them are just angels of the devil.
........Not that I endorse the idea, but is this theft and abuse of office not one of the reasons why foreign NGOs and governments always want to bypass African governments in their efforts to help locals? I feel silly advocating for African solutions by Africans when we ourselves lack the accountability required to ensure that we protect our weak. Instead, the stronger of us use their knowledge and access to drink from the chalice containing the blood and sweat of our own poor brothers and sisters. What leg do we have to stand on if we ourselves do so badly that foreigners see themselves as better suited to take care of our own people? That said, I also question the decision by the Global Fund to punish the poor-who are already serving the sentence of poverty- because of four people. Are the lives of many people worth throwing away to simply to punish the government ministers who have no moral particle left in them?
..........If nothing else, this case really demonstrates our need to fix our systems of accountability, not for anybody, but ourselves. The privilege of power requires that our leaders take a strong moral stand to shoot on sight any expression of corruption be it in a child or an elder entrusted with power to safeguard the people. If a guy steals a shilling when in lower office, it makes sense that he may pounce again when entrusted with a bigger office with more power and control of monies. If and when we can hold ourselves accountable, it is only then that we can claim to be fighting corruption. This sham of letting people steal, recycling them into ministerial positions so they can keep the wine flowing, and then arresting them to show the whole world that government is fighting corruption, long after the monies have been spent by these people, should stop. Doing the same thing- recycling these ministers and hoping for different results is technically what is known as insanity, which is perhaps the reason why we should fire many governments because they are incapacitated by insanity.http://africanviewpoint.blogspot.com