Millions swindled in driving permit processing

While gullible Ugandans are busy singing useless party slogans; a few individuals in the Ministry of Works and Transport (Driving Permit Processing Department), are robbing taxpayers with impunity.

Millions are swindled in driving permit processing. Corruption at that department of Ministry of Works & Transport stinks, and it is open.

You sense the fangs of corruption as soon as you face the askaris of Group 4 who man the gates. The askaris will ask you irrelevant questions with a motive of digging something out of you. If you prove hard to press, the askaris will block your way; claiming you are a threat; yet there are Counterterrorists (CT Police).

You wonder why the askaris of Group 4 do the work that is supposed to be done by police; they even assume powers and duties of Uganda Police Force?

Anyway, there is open corruption here! In total, an applicant is supposed to pay sh295,000; but applicants often pay sh400,000 to sh500,000 depending on how they fall into this corrupt department.

Officially, there is sh30,000 for learning; sh25,000 for testing; sh150,000 for fingerprint; all this is paid through commercial banks. But sh30,000 for learners; and sh60,000 for actual permit is paid directly to Face Technology, so all the total is sh295,000.

However, in the process of paying all the fees listed above, you are cast into a net of corrupt individuals who are strategically positioned and placed to take tax-free money from you. After you pay sh30,000 as learners fees, a doctor is supposed to check your eyes and confirm by signing on the application that you are fit to drive.

Surprisingly, there is a boda boda rider, who is strategically placed outside Face Technology to sign as an eye doctor just after you have paid sh20,000.

Again, after you have paid sh25,000 for learners’ test; police is supposed to test and sign on your application. Quite annoying, the officer in charge of signing will fail you until you give in some money so that he signs on the application.

However, those in the know will simply part with sh50,000 to the boda boda rider, who signs as an eye doctor, and he will do the same and then the application is accepted.

If you calculate the money spent here and what is wasted; that which go tax-free, plus the inconvenience caused to taxpayers, you simply pray for Ugandans.

For God’s sake, why doesn’t government employ an eye doctor at the Driving Permit to do what the boda boda man is doing?  Why doesn’t government look for another way of testing drivers without that ill way of throwing them into the hands of corrupt police officers?