A former presidential aspirant, Dr Kizza Besigye has called on President Museveni to surrender himself to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for prosecution over corruption allegations.
Besigye believes that this is the only credible way for Museveni to demonstrate his commitment to fighting corruption and take the issue seriously.
Last week, Museveni expressed concern about the rampant corruption in Uganda, revealing that even some of his staff at State House have been involved in corrupt practices. The Inspector General of Government (IGG) estimates that corruption costs the country at least Shs1 million per hour.
"I have received reports that people, including those in my office, accept bribes to arrange meetings with me. Can you imagine? We recently arrested an individual who allegedly extorted money from an investor, and the matter is currently in court," said Museveni.
According to Museveni, most of the victims of corruption at the State House are foreign investors who come to Uganda to engage in various sectors of the economy.
He also stated that he has instructed the Ministry of Finance to address the issue of high interest rates charged by money lenders to stimulate investment in the country.
In a tweet, Besigye demanded that President Museveni and his family surrender themselves to the DPP for prosecution.
He accused Museveni of being the source, promoter, protector, and embodiment of both large-scale and small-scale corruption in Uganda for decades, adding that Museveni cannot put an end to corruption.
"If Museveni fails to surrender himself for prosecution or resign, everything else he talks about is just noise,"
He further criticized the anti-corruption bodies, claiming that they can only dance around the problem without taking decisive action.
Joseph Kabuleta, the president of the National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED), also spoke out against Museveni, accusing him and his family of looting national resources.
Kabuleta highlighted the absence of Uganda's mineral wealth in the national budget, which he claims is controlled by Museveni's family. He referred to Museveni as the most corrupt individual in government, citing a court case in the USA where he allegedly accepted a bribe of 500,000 USD.
"To enable meaningful decision-making in the country, we need to wrestle power away from these 'thieves'," Kabuleta emphasized. He believes that tackling corruption should begin with removing Museveni from power, as the root of the problem lies within the top leadership.
Kabuleta also criticized the budgeting process in Uganda, pointing out the misuse of classified expenditure budget, which increases every year while allocations for crucial sectors such as health, education, and agriculture decrease.