OPM PS ALEX KAKOOZA UNDER FIRE AS OKELLO EXIT SPARKS SCRAMBLE FOR REFUGEE OFFICE

When you disturb a nest, do the birds fly away—or do they fight back?

That is the question quietly being asked at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) as the controversy surrounding suspended Commissioner for Refugee Management Patrick Okello continues to unfold.

Okello was arrested over allegations of extortion in the refugee registration process and was later charged with abuse of office. The Inspectorate of Government says its investigation followed complaints concerning the department.

But for people who have worked closely with the refugee department, the story goes beyond the charges now before the authorities.

They say Okello arrived at the department and quickly began changing things that had been allowed to continue for years. He tightened refugee registration, moved against brokers, enforced reporting times, tackled absenteeism, and introduced tighter controls on the use of government vehicles and fuel.

He also took on what officials describe as entrenched tribal and regional networks and transferred some staff who had allegedly spent more than 18 years in the same positions.

His administration also pushed for tighter control of refugee land, amid concerns that some of the land had been used by OPM officials for private business. Complaints about sexual harassment of refugees by officials were also, according to people familiar with the department, given greater attention.

In simple terms, Okello disturbed the old order.

And, as the saying goes, when you shake the tree, those sitting comfortably on the branches are bound to complain. The continued selective persecution and alleged witch hunt clearly explains the misery being faced by Okello and his incorruptible team.

Now that Okello is out of office, the question being whispered in the corridors is: Who stands to gain?

One of the issues being raised concerns motor vehicle DA370001U, which is being used by the PS, Mr Alex Kakooza, and fully fuelled by the department. No wonder these are among the allegations of abuse of office that Okello is now paying for.

If the official asset records confirm that the vehicle is assigned to the Refugee Management Department, then there is a straightforward question for OPM: under what authority is it being used elsewhere, and does the arrangement comply with government rules on the use of public vehicles?

There is also the issue of the caretaker arrangement and the appointment of Emmy Tonny Amenyi.

Amenyi was among OPM officials charged in 2023 over alleged embezzlement of Shs225 million meant for Karamoja peace-building initiatives. He denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty, meaning the matter should not be treated as a conviction.

Still, his appointment raises questions about the standards being applied to those now entrusted with running a department already under intense scrutiny.

Then there is another concern that is perhaps even more troubling: the possibility of an internal battle dragging the case on for years.

People familiar with the department fear that power brokers could use government procedures to keep Okello in limbo until retirement, turning an investigation into punishment without a final verdict.

Justice delayed can become justice denied.

If Okello committed the offences alleged against him, let the evidence come out and let the law take its course.

If the evidence does not support the allegations, he should be allowed to clear his name and continue with his life and career.

What would be unfortunate is for government institutions to become arenas where personal or factional battles are fought under the cover of official investigations.

Okello’s career is also worth remembering.

He has served in the President’s Office, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Local Government, and OPM. People familiar with his previous work describe his record as clean and say he entered refugee management determined to bring discipline and order to a department where informal networks had allegedly become deeply rooted.

That does not place him above the law. But neither should the current allegations automatically wipe away his years of public service.

Uganda’s refugee department is simply too important to become a playground for competing interests.

The country hosts millions of refugees and asylum seekers, and the integrity of the system that registers, protects, and settles them should matter to everyone.

For PS Alex Kakooza, therefore, this is bigger than the fate of Patrick Okello.

The Permanent Secretary has a responsibility to demonstrate that the same standards of accountability being demanded from Okello are being applied elsewhere, and that decisions are being made in the interests of refugees and the public rather than individuals or factions.

At the end of the day, the public wants two simple things: evidence and fairness.

As the old saying goes, “The truth will eventually come out.”

And when it does, it should tell us not only what happened to Patrick Okello, but also who was waiting to take his chair.