KAMPALA – David Kalemera, the newly appointed Senior Presidential Advisor and Head of the State House Revenue Intelligence Unit, has vowed to fight corruption within the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).
Kalemera made the promise in a statement announcing his appointment, saying he is committed to overseeing URA’s operations and stamping out corruption within the tax administration system.
“I am deeply honored to have been appointed by H.E Kaguta Museveni as the Senior Presidential Advisor and Head of the newly established State House Revenue Intelligence Unit,” Kalemera said.
He added, “I am committed to working with the URA to close revenue leakages and boost tax collection for the betterment of our nation. I will fight corruption within URA and ensure transparency and accountability in the tax administration system.”
Kalemera’s appointment is seen as a significant move by the government to address corruption and revenue leakages in the tax administration system. His leadership is expected to bring a new era of transparency and accountability to the sector.
“I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to H.E Kaguta Museveni for his trust and confidence in me,” Kalemera said, also thanking the public for their support and encouragement. “Let’s move forward together towards a more transparent and prosperous Uganda.”
President Museveni has added onto Uganda’s many anti-corruption units, establishing a new one particularly charged with reversing a trend of annual multi-billion revenue losses resulting from corruption and inefficiencies at the country’s tax body.
“President Museveni has created the State House Revenue Intelligence and Strategic Operations Unit to do an oversight on URA operations and fight corruption within the tax administration system,” the Presidency said on Friday.
The creation comes at a time when Museveni is pushing for rationalisation and merging of several government agencies, a move he said would save Uganda more than Shs1trillion every year.
High Court’s Anti-Corruption Division documents obtained show that he was a former employee of URA from 2OO7 to 2016 when he was charged in court, before being terminated in March 2017.
Reports have emerged, linking Kalemera to an April 21, 2022 conviction by the same court for knowingly using customs conspiring to commit a felony in a corruption related case.
“The creation of the unit will help government close revenue leakages and boost tax collection,” the Presidency wrote in a brief statement released Friday.
