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Introduce institutional reforms to stamp out corruption
Therefore, in order to address the cancer of corruption, the ministers should mostly focus on systemic institutional reforms, not just individual arrests. They should enforce accountability at all levels, increase transparency, improve internal controls, apply consistent sanctions and set the tone from the top at the Ministry level.
Counsel Isaac Atukunda. (Courtesy)
By: Admin ., Journalist @New Vision
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OPINION
By Isaac Atukunda
In as much as we applaud the new Cabinet for striving to address the corruption cancer that has grossly affected public service delivery, it is important to note that corruption in Uganda is endemic.
This is because it is so deeply rooted in institutions, right from the ministries to the lowest cadre, that just targeting the lowest cadre staff like head teachers, heads of health centres, contractors, among others, may not sufficiently address the corruption cancer.
Addressing corruption in Uganda requires institutional reforms that strengthen transparency, accountability and enforcement at every level rather than just action against junior officials.
For example, if the Anti-Corruption efforts only focus on arresting a head teacher of a school while leaving a corrupt district service commission, corrupt district education officer, corrupt school inspector, corrupt ministry commissioners and incompetent school management committees and board of governors untouched, institutional corruption won’t be addressed.
The corrupt system will still recruit a corrupt head teacher because most of these head teachers steal with the full blessing of their immediate supervisors who share the proceeds of corruption.
A relevant example is what was happening in the Parliament of Uganda, where junior staff were stealing money with the blessing of the Speaker.
For example, if the Anti-Corruption efforts only focus on arresting a head teacher of a school while leaving a corrupt district service commission, corrupt district education officer, corrupt school inspector, corrupt ministry commissioners and incompetent school management committees and board of governors untouched, institutional corruption won’t be addressed.
The corrupt system will still recruit a corrupt head teacher because most of these head teachers steal with the full blessing of their immediate supervisors who share the proceeds of corruption.
A relevant example is what was happening in the Parliament of Uganda, where junior staff were stealing money with the blessing of the Speaker.
For example, we know that in Uganda, before a contractor wins a tender, the Procurement committee and the head of the procuring entity must first receive bribes and must also have a percentage of the procurement sum. Sometimes contractors receive less than the contracted sum and therefore cannot be able to complete contracts.
This is why terminating a road contractor without holding the entire Ministry of Works and Transport/procuring entity accountable may not sufficiently address the institutional corruption within the procuring entity.
If for example the government prioritises higher payments for politicians like MPs than investing in the health sector and a hospital receives less supplies, if the doctors are paid poorly, if the medical interns aren't remunerated, if the hospital lacks sufficient infrastructure to address the patients' demands, if a hospital lacks basic equipment etc, arresting a hospital superintendent for poor service delivery may not address the problem of poor service delivery in the health sector.
Therefore, in order to address the cancer of corruption, the ministers should mostly focus on systemic institutional reforms, not just individual arrests. They should enforce accountability at all levels, increase transparency, improve internal controls, apply consistent sanctions and set the tone from the top at the Ministry level.
Otherwise, special thanks to the individual ministers who are endeavouring to fight corruption. Ugandans are very hopeful.
The writer is the former Secretary, Uganda Law Society
This is why terminating a road contractor without holding the entire Ministry of Works and Transport/procuring entity accountable may not sufficiently address the institutional corruption within the procuring entity.
If for example the government prioritises higher payments for politicians like MPs than investing in the health sector and a hospital receives less supplies, if the doctors are paid poorly, if the medical interns aren't remunerated, if the hospital lacks sufficient infrastructure to address the patients' demands, if a hospital lacks basic equipment etc, arresting a hospital superintendent for poor service delivery may not address the problem of poor service delivery in the health sector.
Therefore, in order to address the cancer of corruption, the ministers should mostly focus on systemic institutional reforms, not just individual arrests. They should enforce accountability at all levels, increase transparency, improve internal controls, apply consistent sanctions and set the tone from the top at the Ministry level.
Otherwise, special thanks to the individual ministers who are endeavouring to fight corruption. Ugandans are very hopeful.
The writer is the former Secretary, Uganda Law Society