I attended a press conference at Uganda Media Centre where the Inspector General of Government, Justice Irene Mulyagonja, talked about the poor use of the online system to declare wealth.

It is mandatory for our leaders to declare their income, assets and liabilities and failure to do so calls for legal action. It is embarrassing that out of 25,000 leaders expected to make their declarations, only 11,873 have submitted.

Mulyagonja said majority of the leaders who have tried this system have submitted wrong information, which affects their verification. Others have sent wrong emails and telephone numbers, making them inaccessible in return.

This means that majority of our leaders have taken the declaration of their wealth for granted, yet it is a serious security measure. It promotes integrity, accountability and personal record keeping.

Since the days for submission have been extended to April 21, 2017, we must ensure that all leaders submit their declarations.