It has been a rocky tenure for Inspector General of Government, Justice Irene Mulyagonja.
Some people would say it has been rockier than the person she replaced, Faith Mwondha.
Mwondha had an explosive personality.
During her tenure, she attacked whoever appeared to stand in her way: Gen Kahinda Otafiire and a number of MPs were on the receiving end of her tirades.
Yet for Mulyagonja, it has not been about personality. It has been about her inability to firmly deal with the corrupt.
Time and again, President Museveni expressed his displeasure over the performance of the Inspectorate of Government.
During the 9th Commonwealth Regional Conference for Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Africa last week Museveni said he didn’t appoint Edith Col. Nakalema [the head of Corruption Unit) to fight Mulyagonja but rather help her fight corruption where she had failed.
“When we noticed the dangers corruption posed, we created new laws, new institutions like IGG, to fight the vice. But over time, the fire in them burnt out. Most likely they were infiltrated. That explains why I have to stoke the fire with new watchmen like the Anti-Corruption Unit to watch over the old watchmen,” Museveni said.
Yet in this one statement, the president had made clear that his patience with the IG was running thin
Therefore her decision to apply to a be a judge on the Court of Appeal bench could be indication that she is finally throwing in the towel, unable to take the pressure that comes with her office.
In fact, sources have told The Nile Post that President Museveni's criticism of the IGG could be one of the reasons why Mulyagonja wants to leave the office.
Apparently, she is not sure whether she still has the support and confidence of the appointing authority and according to sources, she believes she could be living on borrowed time.
Insider sources intimated that there is some grumbling over the way some administrative issues have been handled.
This culminated into a petition by a section of staff to Lt Col Nakalema, something that did not go down well with Mulyagonja.
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In the past, Mulyagonja has assured all and sundry that she is the right person for the job, that she does not only just bark but bite.
Yet records show that during her tenure few public officials have been prosecuted successfully by her office.
There are also a number of pending files including that of Justine Bagyenda, the former executive director in Bank of Uganda in charge of bank supervision, that appear to have stalled.
Mulyagonja joins Christopher Gashirabake, the Deputy Solicitor General and 24 others who have applied to be the judge of the Constitutional Court.
Others are: High Court Judge Lawrence Gidudu, the deputy head of the Commercial Division of the High Court, Justice Billy Kainamura, High Court Judge Rugadya Atwooki, former deputy IGG Raphael Baku, High Court Judges Henry Peter Adonyo, Henrietta Wolayo, and Damalie Lwanga Nantudde.
They include: Agasha Mugasha, Omoding Kenneth Paul, Ndikabona Batema, Elizabeth Henry Kaweesa, Jane Alividza, Kibedi Muzamiru Mutangula, Margaret Tibulya, Nabisinde Winfred Nyondo, Mugenyi Monica Kalyegira, Nkonge Nabbosa Agnes, Karoli Ssemwogerere, Jane Frances Kiggundu, Dennis Biryeije, Babyebuza, James K Byamukama, Lawrence Kamugisha and Apil Ekwang Josephine.
