The crusade against corruption, decadence in Uganda

By Freddie Kwiringira

CORRUPTION, graft, decadence today is part of Uganda’s fabric. Some people think it is impossible to fight these vices but it is a possible with united front, clarity.

Many outstanding Ugandans have been in high offices and yet were incorruptible including Late Eriya Kategeya, Gen. Mugisha Muntu, Prof. Nsibambi, Gen. Kale Kayihura, Paul Ssemogerere, Late James Wapakhabulo, Mayanja Nkangi, James Kahooza, Onyango Obbo, and Allen Kagina.

These distinguished persons held or are in big positions but diligent. Today the country needs people with leadership attributes, nobility, and integrity to avert this situation and ensure prudence.

We need leadership, crusade against decadence, graft if Uganda is to attain Vision 2040. Professionalism is also at its worst, reforms are urgent in institutions.

The endemic corruption, greed in Uganda will need bold persons, strong systems to expose the dirt in our organizations, ministries, commissions, authorities. Organizations like NFA, NEMA, Posta Uganda, UNEB, and many others institutions are not run effectively. They need urgent restructuring to attain its roles and mandate.

Uganda is counting on me and you. Change begins with you. The country will be saved by Ugandans not World Bank, IMF, USA. The conspiracy of silence in our country is what makes evil to thrive and criminals abusing their positions covering dirt in their backyards.

The indifference of our people promotes impunity, anarchy, inefficiency in most of our systems. The corruption cancer must be fought with abandon. All of us have a role to play, standup be counted.

Uganda has lost colossal sums of money due to connivance, facilitation by different offices, ministries, government agencies.

Therefore most public institutions cannot deliver because of Corruption. We need forensic audit in every government institution, subject key areas to audit. We should have a review of value for money in projects, due diligence and get to know how some Ugandans with unexplained riches made their monies. Public funds have been lost over the years but especially in the last 2 decades.

Corruption has no tribe, ethnicity, sex, religion or color. It is diversionary to keep pointing at a families, ethnic group, tribe, region as the main culprits of squandering public resources in Uganda. This is why our parliament keeps going in circles without any visible results. Evil should be called by its name.

These thieves now turned ‘investors’, tycoons must be investigated. It is usual in Uganda to find a public servant with a hospital/s, over 10 houses, farms, properties abroad, and children studying in London, USA, where do these fellows get these monies?

There is need to do census of our houses, know the owners, this calls for proper bio data, records, national identity cards. The properties of thieves should be auctioned so that it is deterrent for those still holding public officers to be good stewards of public funds. As long as people hide behind religion, tribes to do disguise stealing. Integrity is under attack in our society, Uganda.

Countries that transformed like Singapore under the extraordinary leadership of Lee Kuan Yew had to use unorthodox methods to fight corruption. He never waited for clouds to settle, or circumstances to be conducive. It was tough journey, but he triumphed!

The whistle blowers policy has loopholes; it should be reviewed. The IGG, CID, Parliament, Auditor General are constrained and cannot effectively to fight decadence.

We should put our energies together and fight public servants who are swindling public funds. The agony of our country is leadership crisis.

The transformation and prosperity of Uganda depends on hard choices, embrace accountability. 

Writer is the CEO, Global Divine Ventures (GDV)