The menace of corruption in Uganda: a sectoral analysis

Jun 10, 2024

By, supporting whistle-blowers and protecting their rights, creating more awareness programs that promote citizen empowerment, strong partnerships are built in this fight against corruption. 

The menace of corruption in Uganda: a sectoral analysis

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OPINION

By Noel Agaba

‘‘Corruption killed Nalubowa, and not lack of resources.’’ Justice Barishaki Cheborion, Center for Health, Human Rights and Development, and others versus Attorney General.

Corruption, as defined by leading international anti-corruption institutions such as Transparency International is the abuse of entrusted power for personal benefit, which can take many forms, including; systemic, individual, political, grand, and petty corruption.

This essay examines the extensive influence of corruption on vital sectors in Uganda, specifically education, health, transport, and works, and emphasizes the importance of coordinated efforts to address this deeply ingrained problem by prescribing solutions.

In Uganda, the Constitution and the Anti-Corruption Act, of 2009 establish the Inspectorate of Government as the primary authority in handling corruption-related offenses. Collaboration is emphasized through partnerships with entities such as the Office of the Auditor General, State House Anti-corruption Unit, police, Judiciary, Parliament, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority, Civil Society Organisations, citizens among others.

Uganda’s 142nd place in the 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index, out of 180 countries demonstrates the negative impact of corruption on service delivery and overall developments with far-reaching implications in the aforementioned sectors.

In the education sector, dreams of a competent future generation are killed as corruption compromises the quality and accessibility of education services, thus limiting opportunities for financially disadvantaged children, reinforcing poverty, and prolonging social inequality. Several academic institutions have reported cases of embezzlement, abuse of office, bribery, ghost workers, absenteeism, and bribery. Makerere University has regrettably lost about sh8.7b due to corruption, Uganda Meteorological Training School, Uganda Management Institute, and Kyambogo University are all cited under the same.

It has also been ascertained that in some offices, efforts in getting a job, marks, a transcript, and getting on the government payroll are all futile without a bribe, with bribery estimated to be up to sh39.1b, absenteeism, sh1.5 trillion, and embezzlement sh244b. How is a disadvantaged student expected to realize their dreams and compete with the well-off amidst teacher absenteeism? However, by, supporting whistle-blowers and protecting their rights, creating more awareness programs that promote citizen empowerment, strong partnerships are built in this fight against corruption.

Corruption in the health sector has become a question of life and death as the pricing of the medical services and medicine in public health facilities which are supposed to be free violates the inherent right to health, one either pays or dies. This deprivation and infringement on the right to health also stem from stealing of the medical supplies from public hospitals, absenteeism of health workers, and payment of ghost workers.

Nearly sh670 is estimated annually under bribery in the health sector, a one Slyvia Nalubowa was left to bleed to death at Mityana Hospital after failure to pay a bribe ‘corruption killed Nalubowa and not lack of resources’, in a landmark decision of Centre for Health, Human Rights and Development and others v Attorney General. Do the poor, in addition, have to pay to live?  This essay advocates for strong information systems and undebatable joint efforts among all government organs, civil society organizations, and citizens to combat corruption in the health arena.

Corruption in the transport sector is pre-eminent through financial loss, embezzlement, and corruptly awarding tenders thus compromising public goals by distorting spending structure and project design, inflating prices of projects, delayed and low quality of works, and sometimes non-completion. One of the notable grand scandals in Uganda is the Mukono-Katosi Road saga where the government lost over sh24.7b to fraud, the poor state of roads in Kampala is also affiliated with corruption and these project the vitality of collaboration between law enforcement agencies and judiciary, with more financial and human resources to effectively investigate and resolve case backlog by these organs respectively.

Conclusively, combating corruption requires collective responsibility, and a strong relationship between all organizations, citizens, and government entities. Transparent and responsible processes must be established in Uganda to alleviate poverty and promote long-term development.

Bibliography

  • The Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, 1995, as amended.
  • The Anti-Corruption Act, 2009.
  • Case law
  • Reports

 
The writer is a second year law student at Uganda Christian University

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