Several officials at the Ministry of Works and Transport have criticised former Principal Road Safety Officer Ronald Amanyire over his conduct on social media, describing the tendency to attack individuals in pursuit of online popularity as “moral bankruptcy”.
The criticism comes barely two days after an ‘old’ letter emerged in which Amanyire apologised to Commissioner for Transport Regulation and Safety Winstone Katushabe, admitted undermining his authority and sought his assistance in having his interdiction lifted.
“You can’t trash and abuse everyone simply because of social media trends. That’s moral bankruptcy,” one ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, commenting on the controversy surrounding Amanyire’s conduct.
The official further invoked a Runyankore proverb, “twingane etuura aha maarwa,” to illustrate the distinction between casual social interactions and genuine equality.
The proverb, loosely translated, refers to people gathering around a pot of traditional brew and sharing drinking straws, where social standing, wealth and hierarchy temporarily give way to informal camaraderie.
However, the official argued that such temporary familiarity should not be mistaken for genuine equality or used as an excuse to disregard established authority, professional boundaries and institutional leadership.
The remarks add another twist to the strained relationship between Amanyire and his former supervisors, which has increasingly played out in public through social media exchanges and disagreements over the Ministry’s leadership and operations.
In a letter dated June 17, 2026, titled “Reconciliation and Request for Assistance in Lifting of Interdiction,” Amanyire apologised to Katushabe, acknowledging that his social media posts, comments and failure to correct misleading narratives had contributed to attacks against the commissioner.
“I am particularly remorseful for the period during which malicious attacks and false accusations were circulated against you on social media,” Amanyire wrote.
He further admitted that his conduct had undermined ministry leadership’s authority and eroded public confidence in the entity.
“My conduct not only undermined your authority but also eroded public trust in the leadership of this Ministry. That was wrong, and it will never happen again,” he stated.
Amanyire also sought forgiveness and an opportunity to rebuild their working relationship, while asking Katushabe to support efforts to have his interdiction lifted.
However, Katushabe recently distanced himself from the decision, saying he had no authority to determine Amanyire’s employment status.
He explained that disciplinary matters involving public officers fall within the mandate of the Permanent Secretary and the relevant public service authorities.
Amanyire was interdicted on April 30, 2026, by Permanent Secretary Bageya Waiswa pending investigations into alleged misconduct, including publishing internal government documents on social media without authorisation, failure to submit a performance plan and failure to attend departmental meetings.
News reaching out desk indicates that responsibility to determine his employment status ultimately rests with the relevant public service authorities, not anyone at the Ministry.
