Govt needs to restructure OPM – Minister Baryomunsi

The minister for ICT and National Guidance Dr. Chris Baryomunsi has called for the restructuring of the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM).

OPM has been hit by several corruption scandals with the latest being a probe into the alleged diversion of 14,500 pre-painted iron sheets meant for vulnerable people in the Karamoja sub-region.

While addressing journalists at the ICT ministry head offices in Kampala, Baryomunsi said that the OPM only needs to be restructured and have some offices like that of implementation transferred to other sectors for efficient service delivery.

“The OPM is too huge for one person [Robinah Nabbanja] to supervise. Government needs to restructure the whole OPM in terms of supervision and implementation of programmes,” Baryomunsi said.

During the same press conference,  Baryomunsi castigated police for apprehending ministers implicated in the Karamoja iron sheets scandal during hours they cannot be produced in court.

One of the remanded ministers; Amos Lugoolobi was apprehended on Friday last week and detained at Kira Division Police pending trial this week.  He was later remanded to Luzira prison.

Baryomunsi says police should have just told him to appear for statement recording this week and then present him before court instead of having him intentionally spend nights behind bars before trial.

Written by Juliet Nalwooga