Corruption ‘growing more sophisticated’ — IGG

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In the first months of 2026, the consequences of Uganda’s anti-corruption drive have begun to surface in concrete ways.

Twelve public officials have been dismissed from service. Four others, including a Chief Administrative Officer, have been interdicted. Three officers have been reprimanded, and another demoted.

The actions follow enforcement orders issued by the Inspectorate of Government between January and February this year. After 100 days in office, Justice Naluzze Aisha Batala says corruption networks are becoming more complex and vows stronger enforcement, deeper investigations, and systemic reforms.

For Justice Naluzze Aisha Batala, Uganda’s Inspector General of Government, the disciplinary outcomes offer early evidence that the institution’s oversight powers can still translate into tangible change.

“These interventions are meant to ensure that oversight leads to corrective action,” she said in a statement issued at the Uganda Media Centre on March 5.

Some of the results involve financial recoveries.

Nearly shs 89.8 million in unspent funds from the Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project (DRDIP) activities in districts under the Moyo regional office have been refunded.

A motorcycle previously reported missing from a district health department has also been recovered and redeployed.

In Kassanda District, funds from the Parish Development Model that had been spent outside proper guidelines have now been brought back under compliance procedures.

Yet the enforcement actions come against a far more complex backdrop.

According to Batala, corruption in Uganda is evolving, becoming more organised, more sophisticated, and sometimes tied to cross-border networks.

“Corruption is no longer predominantly petty in nature,” she said. “It is increasingly growing and becoming sophisticated, sometimes syndicated, and in certain instances linked to cross-border networks.”

In some cases, she added, corruption has become socially normalised.

“Sometimes it is even glorified.”

The challenge is compounded by institutional constraints inside the Inspectorate itself.

Limited staffing, shortages of specialised investigative expertise, and inadequate funding continue to slow investigations. Even basic operational tools remain a challenge, with the institution operating an aging vehicle fleet that complicates field work across the country.

Such limitations are not unique to Uganda. Anti-corruption agencies across many African countries struggle with similar structural constraints while confronting increasingly complex financial crimes.

Batala says addressing these weaknesses will require both internal reforms and broader partnerships.

Over the next six months, the Inspectorate plans to deepen collaboration with other anti-corruption agencies, civil society organisations, development partners, and the private sector.

The aim is to build a more coordinated national response.

At the same time, Batala is advocating a “whole-of-government” approach to prevention, encouraging ministries, departments, agencies, and local governments to embed anti-corruption measures directly into their plans, budgets, and projects.

The goal, she says, is not simply to prosecute wrongdoing after the fact.

“Our goal is not only to enforce the law but also to strengthen systems and prevent corruption before it occurs.”

In practical terms, the next phase of the Inspectorate’s work will continue to focus on prosecution-led investigations, particularly high-profile corruption cases that can send a deterrent message.

Stronger follow-up mechanisms are also planned to ensure that government institutions actually implement the Inspectorate’s recommendations — an area where progress has historically been slow.

Even as reforms take shape, Batala says the broader mission remains unchanged: restoring public confidence in the institutions tasked with protecting public resources.

“The Inspectorate of Government remains committed to combating corruption and maladministration in the public sector and to the full execution of the constitutional mandate,” she said.

The coming months will also bring another key accountability exercise.

All public officials are required to declare their income, assets, and liabilities to the Inspectorate between April 1 and April 30, 2026.

The Inspectorate has begun updating registers and training focal points across government to prepare for the declaration period.

Those who fail to submit their declarations on time face referral to the Leadership Code Tribunal.

“I remind all those who will fail to submit their declaration by 30th April 2026,” Batala said, “that we will submit their names to the Leadership Code Tribunal for prosecution.”

For Batala, the message is meant to be unmistakable.

“The message going forward is straightforward: we will deliver results, we will strengthen transparency and accountability, and we will pursue reforms that make corruption more difficult, more costly, and less tolerated.”

Whether that promise translates into lasting institutional change may depend on what happens next.

The next six months, she suggests, will reveal whether the Inspectorate’s tougher tone can be matched by sustained enforcement.