Britain has joined Ireland in suspending aid to Uganda's office of the prime minister. The move comes after a draft report by Ugandan's auditor-general found that over $15 million [€12 million] in aid had been transferred to unauthorized accounts in the office of the Ugandan prime minister.
The money was meant to have been spent on helping the needy, and to help pay for a 'peace recovery and development program' in northern Uganda after decades of conflict and devastation.
The Ugandan government has pledged prosecutions. Two senior officials have been charged, while 17 others have been suspended as the investigation continues.
"This report does not surprise anybody," said Dr. Fred Golooba Mutebi, a political analyst and a visiting fellow at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom. The only shock, he added, "is the amounts of money stolen are quite colossal." |