By Ezaruku Draku Franklin

Ms Annet Birungi, a board member of the National Social Security Fund, has asked parliament and Office of the Inspector General of Government to speed up investigations and help to clear up the image of the entity, saying the continued negative publicity the fund has attracted is tarnishing the otherwise good image of NSSF.

Ms Birungi who appeared before the select committee of parliament investigating the corruption and abuse of office allegations said as the board, they do not wish such negative publicity to drag on for long, noting that it erodes the confidence the public has had in the organisation.

“Ugandans need to know that when you have very good things and you wash your dirty linen in public, it ends up coming back to you and you lose everything or you damage your own brand. So what is happening in NSSF today is what the president actually warned us about as board members,” Birungi said.

The board members met president Museveni in November last year and were told to remain quiet to allow smooth investigations into the NSSF.

Birungi said the president told them to allow the investigators to do their work  and not make unnecessary statements so that the board members do not contradict themselves without getting the facts right.

“When we interacted with him over the contract renewal of the Managing Director, he told us that we need to wait for the outcomes of the investigations since we are not sure of the allegations. Some of the allegations looked new and when we were asked to explain them, we could not but he told us to go and keep quiet until when the investigations are done,” Birungi said.

NSSF is currently facing a storm both from parliament where a select committee led by Mwine Mpaka is investigation corruption and multiple other allegations and the IGG which is also investigating similar claims.

Betty Amongi who is the political supervisor of the fund had accused the former Managing Director Richard Byarugaba of a string of corruption allegations, which the later denied. He also accused the minister of attempting to dip her hands in NSSF money, ostensibly to mobilise and sensitise new members, a mandate that does not fall under the ministry. Amongi had asked for Shs6 billion for the purported activities, which Byarugaba refused to sanction and Amongi swiftly moved to have his contract terminated before it eventually expired in December last year.

Birungi pleaded with Ugandans to allow the investigators to establish the truth before making negative statements about the operations of the fund. She said it is the bad politics that is threatening the smooth operation of NSSF.

“When we are enjoying our achievements, we also mix in bad politics. Today I would be very happy if investigations took place and after the investigations we can talk the truth but what is being talked outside there you cannot know whether it is the truth or not,” she said.

She said the fund had done a tremendous job in allowing workers who have clocked 45 years and above and have saved for more than 10 years access to 20 percent of their savings, which was envy of other countries where such access does not exist.

“Just about three months ago, the online satisfaction from members was at about 95 percent shortly after the midterm access. People were all talking good about the fund because we were the only body in East Africa that considered the members for mid-term access and all the other funds were wondering how we managed to achieve this. All of sudden, this happens and the brand is suffering. However we hope to bring it back once the investigations are over and things return to normal. One thing the savers need to know is that their funds are safe, even amidst these trials,” she said.