Time for formation of anti-corruption commission

Jun 15, 2016

The Heroes Day, which was celebrated at SSI -Bukunja on June 9 was joyful and colorful. It provided mainly war veteran’s opportunity to be decorated with medals, a presidential hand shake and an opportunity to whisper to the President’s ear.

By Kaweesa Keefa

We had travelled from Kampala in the early morning hours to the lake side city of Ssi Bukunja, the once cleanest small town in the region for the celebrations. A historical and famous area  formerly known for cannibalism when  one man Majangwa slaughtered, cooked and ate his wife Derira.That upon this day in this area, people are fearful of strangers and that you cannot take away any ones property without permission lest you be kunjard!

The Heroes Day, which was celebrated at SSI -Bukunja on June 9 was joyful and colorful. It provided mainly war veteran's opportunity to be decorated with medals, a presidential hand shake and an opportunity to whisper to the President's ear. Unfortunately, I never got a medal and, therefore, no handshake, and, therefore, no definite opportunity to whisper in the President's ear.

I also rightly believe that over 99.9 /00 of contributed whispers from the veterans were requests to address their personal welfare and none to help the President in the administration of the country.

This is because they do not have a forum to express their views. It is, therefore, my conviction that any form of a whisper during the hero's period will be remembered by those in authority. Talking about whispers but what the people have continued to whisper about in public is for tough action against the corrupt. When the President talked about the Katosi - Nyenga road construction culprits vomiting, he received a lot of applause. That is what the people want to hear but they would be a lot happier to see heads rolling.

The issue of the now highly institutionalised corruption in the society is alarming. Corruption is a vice, a terrible disease which has been likened to HIV in that it changes its symptoms and operation style. It, therefore, entails almost new strategies in monitoring at every stage and application of simple remedies not only to catch culprits but weeding the same from the society. One scholar wrote that Corruption is worse than prostitution. That whereas the former can involve number of people in one transaction, the latter can only involve two people at any one operation.

In China, a far reaching campaign against corruption began in 2012 under the General Secretary Xi Jinping in cracking down on ‘tigers and flies" that is, high level officials and local civil servants alike. As of 2016, the campaign had netted over 100,000 high -ranking officials, including high ranking military officers, several senior executives of state-owned companies and national leaders have been indicted for corruption.

 In Tanzania , in 1960, the then president Julius Nyerere said  ‘ I think corruption must be treated with ruthlessness because I believe myself corruption and bribery is a great enemy to the welfare of the people and should be treated in almost the same way as you would treat treason"  . Now at the just concluded London conference on anti-corruption, President John Pombe  Mugufuli, "the bulldozer  " revealed that the first person he sacked was the Director General of the Prevention and  Combating of Corruption Bureau  (PCCB) Edward Hoseah due to the slow pace of the fight against the graft . Mugufuli  is slowly turning into a "Hero" for the fight against corruption.

It is my submission that what we need today in Uganda is the drafting on a National anti-corruption strategy and policy plus creation of an anti-corruption commission, to coordinate and fight corruption. This requires a number of measures and sacrifices which include amongst others declaration and recruitment of anti-corruption crusaders. This should comprise of both young, middle aged and old cadres who are convinced that the country should be corruption free. This type of crowd should be self- driven and motivated, accept to be sacrificed upon the peoples alter in order to get results however there should be assurances  of worthwhile  medals and gratification

The writer is a lawyer

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