Stop viewing the corrupt as role models - Justice Gidudu

CORRUPTION   JUSTICE

KAMPALA - Justice Lawrence Gidudu, the head of the anti-corruption court has urged Ugandans to stop viewing corrupt officials as role models.

This according to him is one of the biggest factors that have made corruption in Uganda a difficult problem to get rid of.

The judge made these remarks while appearing at a public dialogue on enhancing collective action in Uganda's anti-corruption response. It was held at Hotel Africana in Kampala on Wednesday.

"I have noticed that we have a big challenge to make young people hate corruption. Most of our young people glorify corruption. They see the corrupt as brilliant individuals who are taking advantage of the offices they hold. They like to see a person who gets a job and immediately starts acquiring expensive properties. They think this person is working hard yet this person is simply a thief. But because the person is driving a posh car, the rest to them does not matter," he said.

Justice Gidudu also expressed that the vice has sunk so deep in Ugandans' moral fabric that even young children in primary schools bribe their fellows to be voted as prefects.

"We should start in schools to stop pupils from giving their fellows sweets and cakes so they can be voted into school leadership positions. When someone does this, they should be disqualified. We must criticise this culture among our young people because it is slowly becoming normal practice. They should be encouraged to vote ability, willingness to work and other positive attributes and in so doing, we shall promote morality and curb corruption tendencies," he said.

He termed the fight against corruption as a complex challenge. He referred to it as a calculated offence. "The corrupt don't steal like robbers. While robbers pounce on their victims, the corrupt act otherwise. They went to school so they know the value of money. They know how much to steal and how much to leave where or drop when being chased so their pursuers, if compromisable may have their attention turned," he explained.

He also advised that the fight against corruption be taken to online platforms so that the youth, who have majorly gone digital can be reached with anti-corruption messages.

He added that other than concentrating anti-corruption messages in urban centres, anti-graft agencies should also reach out to the villages where cases like voter bribery are prominent.

"Isn't it a fact that when you present yourself for election, voters first ask how much money you have? Is that what they should ask or the right question should be about one's capabilities and what they will deliver once voted? But because politics has been so commercialized, people only look at the size of the pockets. Giving them this money is corruption and we must deal with this problem by engaging the public," Justice Gidudu stated.

"These people must be told that the sh1000 they are given to vote someone into power disenfranchises them. They should know that by taking this money, they are cheaply selling their rights to services. I believe going to these people and explaining to them how corruption causes their common problems like floods, bad roads, among many more can wake them up," he added.

Justice Gidudu said that citizen empowerment to demand rather than beg for their services is a good way to fight corruption.

"Anybody that comes out to give a hand in the fight against corruption is welcome because the problem is so big that every effort to fight is welcome. The vice is so sophisticated that we need to use various methods like the guerrilla method where we would have constant suspicion, constant mobility, and constant vigilance. This will help us to reasonably manage corruption in this country," he said.