Museveni: "Why I transferred Pius Bigirimana from OPM"

President Museveni has said he transferred Pius Bigirimana from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) to the Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development because of the "unscrupulous people who were fighting him."

" He was fought in the Office of the Prime Minister and I moved him to Ministry of Gender where he did wonderful work," Museveni said during the launch of Bigirimana’s two books at State House Entebbe at the weekend.

The books are: Abundance Mentality and Corona Lockdown Chronicles.

Museveni commended Bigirimana for always being active and a loyal cadre.

"In talking about the abundance mentality", Bigirimana is simply referring to the immense opportunities available in Uganda, which leaders and others should tap into for the good of their communities,"Museveni said.

"I congratulate him on authoring these books. I commend him for wearing spectacles that are able to see the opportunities. His "I can do it" attitude is very commendable."

Bigirimana was transferred from the ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development to the Judiciary in 2019.

Bigirimana, served as the permanent secretary for ministry of Gender from 2013 to 2019.

Before he was transferred to Gender, Bigirimana was at the centre of a multi-billion shilling scandal in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) in which over Shs 50 billion meant for post war recovery in Northern Uganda was misappropriated by the OPM staff, including the convicted principal accountant, Godfrey Kazinda.

Although the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee recommended that Bigirimana be prosecuted for playing a role in the mismanagement of the money, President Museveni, who, vehemently defends Bigirimana, moved the embattled PS to Gender in a mini reshuffle.

Bigirimana, in his defence, maintained that he blew the whistle on the OPM scam.

After his transfer to Gender, Bigirimana would in 2016, author two books.