While presiding over at the official funeral ceremony of the late Keith Muhakanizi in Kololo In Saturday the Secretary to the cabinet Ms Nakyobe Lucy said government was planning to remodel the office of the prime minister soon and if not scandals will continue.
She said this before Muhakanizi flew to Milan, Italy, for specialized treatment he had anticipated a scandal about the iron sheets and warned ministers that the iron sheets would cause problems which they ignored.
Muhakanizi assured the implicated ministers to take personal responsibility for whatever could arise.
“ How did the iron sheets saga come out when was the permanent secretary ? He had seen the circus coming. He had been to my office a few months before it happened. One afternoon he had a top management meeting in his office and he come accusing me of not inducting ministers,” she uttered.
She further said Muhakanizi had gone to report himself to her and that should she hear anything, she should know that he had disagreed with the ministers and he warned them.
“And indeed after a month and a half this problem come and when it come he called me and told me didn’t I predict so?We took it lightly and thought it would come to pass I called him while in Milan and told him this thing is making the government look ugly,”she said.
President Museveni who happened to be the chief mourner said Muhakanizi’s death was a shock to him because he knew that he was undergoing a cancer treatment and not long ago he held a meeting with him at State House though he was optimistic he had overcome cancer.
He however lauded Muhakanizi for his role to the economic recovery of the country after the National Resistance Army took power in 1986.
President Museveni further said Muhakanizi, Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile and the late Chris Kasami(former permanent secretary and secretary to the treasury at the ministry of Finance)were key in the implementation of economic reforms like merging the ministries of finance planning and economic development and allowing market forces determine the market price for predictable economy to increase investor confidence and introduction of liberalization to expand and diversify the economy.
Ms Nakyobe tasked the president to appoint courageous permanent secretary who can effect restricting in the office of the prime minister.
Currently the OPM structure comprises of the prime minister and the deputy prime ministers, 10 ministers and state ministers including Government Chief Whip, minster for General Duties, Karamoja Affairs, Northern Uganda, Three directories and 11 departments.