Declare your income, assets and liabilities and avoid wrath of the law, IGG appeals to Leaders

KAMPALA - Articles 233(2) and 234 of the Constitution of Uganda and section 4 of the Leadership Code Act require Political Leaders and appointed leaders to declare to the Inspectorate of Government their incomes, assets and liabilities every two years in the month of March. The previous declaration was done in March 2021 and therefore all those leaders specified above are required to declare their incomes, assets and liabilities in March 2023. Betty Kamya , IGG reminds all concerned to comply with this Constitutional requirements or risk serious repercussions.

This year's exercise will be launched on Wednesday 1st March 2023 in Lira City and will be presided over by the Rt. Hon. Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa- who will in effect be the 1st declarant this Declaration year. The exercise will run from 1st March 2023 and will close on 31st March 2023. There is no provision in the law to extend this period. Therefore, any leader who will not have declared by 31st March 2023 will be in violation of the law. There are serious sanctions under the law for:-

(1) Non-declaration
(2) Under declaration
(3) Over declaration
(4) Falsification of facts
(5) Anticipatory declaration of income, assets and liabilities .

Sanctions for breach of Code include:-
(a) Fines
(b) Warning
(c) Caution
(d) Demotion
(e) Dismissal from office
(f) Vacation of office
(g) Confiscation and forfeiture of illicitly acquired assets, gifts, or benefits to the Government.

This exercise is meant only for people described in this statement NOT for all public officials. Public officials must also declare but under a different legal provision. Public officials are all those people- other than those specified in this statement whose salaries are paid from the Consolidated Fund. For this category, the law requires that they declare their incomes, assets and liabilities within 3 months after being appointed to a government job and thereafter every five years in the month of April- so the next declaration for public officials will be April 2026- but for clarity only those leader specified under the schedule provided in this statement are required to declare starting from 1st to 31st March 2023, i.e.,

- Elected Political Leaders from LC3 upwards to President.
- People appointed by the President e.g. Permanent Secretaries, Heads of Public Institutions, Board Members of Public Institutions, Executive Leaders of registered Political Parties, etc.

Declaration will be digital using IG-Online Declaration System( IG-(OFS) which will be opened on 1st March 2023 and closed on 31st March 2023. According to Beti Kamya Turwomwe, in case a declarant needs help, they should seek support of the office of the Cheif Administrative Officer or Inspectorate of Government Regional Office or selected people in all Government Institutions called Focal Persons who have been trained to use the IG-ODS declaration system.

Detailed information about the Declaration of Income, Assets and Liabilities will be placed in the local newsprints this week.