Despite endless efforts by Civil Society Organizations to fight corruption, Uganda still ranks high in graft in the East African region, the reason perhaps as to why it remains under developed despite its rich resources.
Although President Museveni has on several occasions promised Ugandans to fight the vice, little has been done and analysts argue that this is due to the lack of political will to do so.
In The East African Report 2012 launched
by Transparency International recently in Kampala, Uganda registered
the highest number of bribery cases at 40.7% in the region beating Burundi,
Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania.
Corruption is not only a danger but also
a catalyst that can be equated to terrorism.
If government does not walk the talk,
Ugandans are going to continue swindling in poverty with barely enough food in
homes, poor road structures, and poor health facilities with no drugs to
mention but a few and by virtue of such unbecoming situations, government is
denying the people their rights to access health services, good roads and clean
water among others.
Government schools will also continue to
perform poorly due to lack of school materials and this coupled with the poor
pay of teachers, there are likely to be more strikes as teachers put their
tools down in protest of the poor remuneration.
Retired Supreme Court Judge George William Kanyeihamba has always stressed that the bad governance of the NRM regime is to blame for all the sufferings and misfortunes Ugandans have gone through, suggesting that since the power is in their hands, the earlier they vote this government out of power the better. “Corruption has been there, it has been around us and we should know what to do by now. It’s all about bad governance and we are just beating around the bush. Let us be practical, discuss, fight and name all corrupt officials, publish them in news papers such that the entire world can know and by the time we go back to polls, we simply vote them out and put the trust of our resources in the hands of honest people who can account for them.”
The retired judge who is also the Patron for Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) continues to appeal to all Ugandans to support the black Monday campaign seeking to reject corruption and demand action against the implicated government officials.
In their third edition of the black Monday newsletter, civil society Organizations note that the theft of public funds is a cancerous tumor that fasters in the dark thus the need to increase the information and understanding among citizens by, among other things, plotting the relationship between theft of public funds and poor service delivery, unemployment, inflation and all the other ills that the scourge spawn.
It is not once, twice or thrice but rather several times that top government officials have been implicated in embezzlement of colossal billions of money, some have been successfully prosecuted in courts of law while others have been let off the hook under unclear circumstances.
While the 9th Parliament took a strong stance against corruption through free and fair debates on oil, the bicycle saga, the Basajjabalaba 142 billion saga and now the recent OPM scandal among others that has since seen donors from Denmark, Ireland, Britain and Sweden suspend aid and demand for a refund of the stolen money, other government institutions among others the IGG’s office, the police, the office of the DPP and the judiciary still need to be strengthened.
There’s also need to support the private members bill on corruption under draft by Makindye East MP, John Simbwa which if passed among others will compel all corrupt officials found guilty to return the money stolen and also confiscate all wealth accumulated under dubious circumstances.
Furthermore, there’s need for awareness among the public on how to follow up government programmes and demand for accountability.
On this note Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) through their Civic Education Programme on Social Accountability seeking to contribute to attaining of the national development plan and poverty eradication, has successfully trained people in five districts how to question service delivery.
One hundred and fifty people including those with disabilities have benefited from this programme. “We chose thirty people from each district and trained them how to monitor government programmes in their respective areas. They can now truck funds, participate in budget debate, they are more alert than how we found them because they have gained better skills. They have actually also trained their colleagues and even those with disabilities know their rights and can fight for them.” Ms. Rose Nanyondo, the programme coordinator said.
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