President Museveni says IGG job is serious responsibility, is still hunting for second deputy

Justice Irene Mulyagonja taking her oath as the Head of service John Mitala looks on President Yoweri Museveni has said the office of the Inspector General of Government (IGG) is a very seriously responsibility that calls for justice to all manners of people without affection or ill will.

“The responsibilities you have are very serious responsibilities because it means administering justice to all manners of people without affection or ill will. That is very serious work because many people suffer from affection, others from ill will, others want favour. It is quite an undertaking. We shall have to fill up the post of another deputy so that they are two. We already have one deputy Bakku, am hunting for another one,” he said.

The President was today officiating over the swearing in of the new IGG Irene Eseza Mulyagonja Kakooza at State House in Entebbe. The oath was administered by the Head of Civil Service Mr. John Mitala and witnessed by the Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanya, the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs Kahiinda Otafiire, that of Ethics and Integrity Simon Lokodo, IGP Kale Kayihura, the Commissioner General for Prisons Johnsohn Byabasaija, Head of Service John Mitala and the Secretary to the Judiciary Okalany and the secretary to the IGG Bageya Waiswa.

The President who congratulated Justice Mulyagonja upon her appointment said these insititutions were put in place by the NRM government for the purpose of protecting the public against the mistakes of government leaders.

He said these institutions were not there before but the NRM government put them in place to protect the people against the mistakes of leaders; all of them except the parliament.

“The local councils etc were designed to supervise the work of government officials. There were gombolola chiefs but we put LC3 chairpersons, there were District Commissioners but we put LC5. The issue was not for running the districts but for protecting the people. On the legal side there are judges, there were the legal systems for litigation but we thought there should be another channel were people run for complaining or reporting corruption. If all these systems were working well the people of Uganda would be safe from corruption and criminality but sometimes people can’t connect why we have them,” he said.

Justice Mulyagonja who was accompanied by her mother Perida Mulyagonja and daughters Gabriella J. Kakooza and Elizabeth Kakooza was first appointed Judge in 2008 and has been working in the commercial Division of the High court. She becomes the fourth IGG since 1986 after Augustine Ruzindana, Jothan Tumwesigye and Justice Faith Mwonda. Raphael Bakku has been the acting IGG.

Born in 1963, she attended Mt. St. Mary's Namagunga for both O and A-level before joining Makerere University where she studied law. She later did her Masters at the University of Zimbabwe. Justice Mulyagonja is married to J.B Kakooza and they have three children.

The President with IGG Mulyangonja, family and officials after her swearing in ceremony