The United Kingdom should begin delivering aid to Uganda independently, instead of sending it through corrupt government officials, Stockton South MP Dr Paul Williams has suggested.
Dr. Williams was on Tuesday addressing the House of Commons about the state of democracy in Uganda and the corrupt officials in the Prime Minister’s office whom he accuses of swindling aid money.
“The attacks on democracy allows a small group of people ton retain power. A group of people who are illegally benefiting from that power and patronage. In 2012, 12m euros was channeled for aid from Ireland, Denmark and Norway directly into bank accounts of officials working in the Prime Minister’s office and it was swindled” he says.
Dr. Williams said that if UK is to help the people of Uganda, they will have to use private organizations and NGOs to avoid its being swindled by the corrupt government officials.
He wants that the Unite Kingdom ensures that aid is delivered by their officials to the beneficiaries in the villages instead of going through government.
Dr. Williams also called for a travel ban against corrupt officials intending to move to the UK.
His ideas were however shot down by Harriett Baldwin the British State Minister of State for Africa at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office who explained that as a sovereign nation, Uganda's political and economic choices are matters for the Ugandan government and its people.
She added that UK can't stop providing aid to Uganda because its development assistance goes to the needy. Especially refugees and supporting military training in Uganda, apart from assistance for African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
