The late Keith Muhakanizi who was dubbed as the former Permanent Secretary for finance foresaw the iron sheets scandal Lucy Nakyobe, the head of the public service has revealed.
Muhakanizi was bedridden but also on his deathbed in Italy reportedly informed Madam Nakyobe of how he had disagreed with the ministers on how they mishandled their offices and their hands fixed in everything.
Speaking during his funeral, at the Kololo grounds via the weekend, madam Nakyobe noted that shortly before the iron sheets scandal blew off the roof, Muhakanizi had made a phone call confining in her how ministers were bound to get in trouble any time soon and that he was reporting to her just to ensure that he wasn’t part of the lout.
Nakyobe says, a few weeks into the iron sheets scandal, Muhakanizi reached out to her again asserting how he was right about everything and had just warned the ministers.
“Some of you may be wondering then, how did the iron sheets circus come up, he told me one thing, “I have been quarreling with the top management in our cabinet meeting, the ministers are everywhere including the stores, procurement, accounts and the human resources. I have come here to report myself because if anything just knows l have disagreed with the ministers today,” Nakyobe said. Adding that Muhakanizi had for seen warned the ministers about the stores and how they would eventually bring problems onto them.
“Didn’t l predict so, l warned those minsters, let them now take full responsibility for their actions. Meanwhile, l have already prepared my statement that will be discussed when l return home,” Muhakanizi reportedly narrated to Nakyobe.
She adds that he even went ahead and proposed a restructuring of the OPM as the office had become a center of government scandals
Nakyobe noted that they then agreed that an internal Memo be written to the cabinet upon his return proposing the restructuring.
She, therefore, urged that the president’s next reapportionment be that that will take on Muhakanizi’s legacy and followup the matters to the note
“This office has a lot of challenges and a soft-hearted person will only add to them,” she concluded.
Muhakanizi was one of the longest-serving technocrats in President Yoweri Museveni’s government. He died last week at the age of 64 at a hospital in Milan, Italy after battling cancer for years.
President Museveni informed the mourners that Muhakanizi, Former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Chris Kasami, former Bank of Uganda Governor Tumusiime Mutebile, and the current Deputy Governor Bank of Uganda Michael Atingi-Ego whom he found in the system when he came to the bush were key in the minimum economic recovery, its expansion, diversification and the now new economy of science.
The president was on Sunday represented by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja as Muhakanizi’s body was laid to rest at Kabula in Lyantonde district with an 11-gun salute.
