Mr. Brendan Rogers:

The Auditor General has special investigative powers separate from government - independent and forceful powers. For example, when he was carrying out a value-for-money study in the office of the Prime Minister and felt he was not getting enough information, he immediately called on his investigative powers and was able to go straight in within six or seven weeks. Normally, a comptroller and auditor general takes a year to do this, and looks back on that year in his work. The Ugandan year ends in July, and the auditor general's report was produced on 19 October, which was very fast. That is an indication of his powers. He has personal bodyguards with him but he is very secure. He has a large programme, and he has the support of the public in Uganda. What is happening is amazing; I have never seen that type of debate in Uganda before. This is not a positive story, and I am not trying to put a positive gloss on it, but the positive part is that for the first time a country which was a failed state under Idi Amin and Milton Obote has a strong auditor general holding the government to account. This is new in Africa in many respects. That is the positive side.