Corruption in Uganda â€" where are we headed?
Nov 16, 2009
INDICATIONS in Uganda today show that the situation of corruption seems to be getting out of hand. Reference is made to the local dailies in which over four articles were reported on corruption ranging from the sh80b NAADS money swindled, Parliament quest
By Obed Kabanda
INDICATIONS in Uganda today show that the situation of corruption seems to be getting out of hand. Reference is made to the local dailies in which over four articles were reported on corruption ranging from the sh80b NAADS money swindled, Parliament questioning a minister over ghost pensioners, CHOGM-related corruption and sh51b lost to corruption in the water and sanitation sector.
These articles follow other corruption-related articles for example the sh900m stolen from the National Forest Authority’s boss’s bedroom.
What an astonishment to all Ugandans in villages especially those who get to know these issues yet they cannot even afford a meal.
One wonders where Uganda is headed with all these acts of corruption. One also wonders what kind of lessons Ugandans in the public and private offices are passing on to the young generation in homes and schools who read these articles on corruption in our newspapers.
As a scholar of leadership, I believe we are destroying opportunities for the future generation in trying to meet our pseudo and contemporary life needs through corruption. At one time, we will give accountability of our actions to these children and we will pay heavily for our actions.
All the billions being lost to corruption are meant to bring life to the lifeless and those pensioners who offered their early days to work for Uganda. The water money is meant to provide water to Ugandans who yearly suffer from diarrhoea and other water-related diseases. Some of the swindled money is meant to provide food through NAADS programmes to those who sleep hungry.
Such billions would as well be used to fund maternal health and safe motherhood programmes for thousands of mothers dying due to pregnancy and childbirth-related complications. Currently, Uganda loses 435 mothers for every 100,000 live births.
The number of deaths daily stands at 14 mothers — meaning close to 5,000 mothers die annually due to inadequate emergency obstetric care services in health facilities. This is no laughing.
President Museveni has demonstrated a high level of commitment to fighting the rampant corruption, but a lot still deserves to be done.
We all need to play a part in the fight against corruption, failure of which our society will be doomed.
There is no need to point fingers anymore, without self-owned actions. We need to assert a countrywide state of action, take stock, reflect and act concisely and urgently each one in his or her own circle of influence.
Parents are cashing bribes for their sons and daughters to get elected as prefects in schools. The youth have learnt to get jobs through bribing employers.
Women are stealing from their husbands and vice-versa. Service delivery tenders cannot be offered without bribes. Corruption is not only looming in the public offices, but also in the Christian and Muslim community.
What should we do to reverse the trend? We all must act in our small ways and we will succeed in the battle. We must be united on this. As a country we may be divided on other issues, but on corruption we need each other.
Our leaders need to set aside a week every month of anti-corruption campaigns countrywide.
This week should be used to hasten the President’s call to end corruption.
The national anti-corruption group should work with the academia to urgently put together tangible data and information on the problem of corruption.
The data should analyse its current trends, effects and future impact including on leadership in the public and private institutions and homes.
This data should be used during the anti-corruption campaign week to guide the media messages since we have FM radios all over the country. The data would also be used to guide primary, secondary and tertiary institution debates and dialogues all over the country. In addition, the data should be used to guide Friday, Saturday and Sunday meets for all Christian and Muslim communities to break the silence on corruption.
During the anti-corruption weeks, people should write newspaper articles, exposing corruption in their communities.
Parents would use the week messages to talk to children in homes about the need for a corrupt free Uganda. Only then would district councils and the Parliament discuss the corruption trends, effects and any need for a strong law.
This would help save our nation and the future generation. And this done more than once and routinely in our country, would help build a generation that knows and trusts that as adults, wherever we are and whatever we do, we are committed to building a corrupt-free Uganda. However, as of now, our children stand to hold us accountable.
Let us all join hands to end corruption now or never.
The writer is the executive director
Action for Community Development, Uganda
INDICATIONS in Uganda today show that the situation of corruption seems to be getting out of hand. Reference is made to the local dailies in which over four articles were reported on corruption ranging from the sh80b NAADS money swindled, Parliament questioning a minister over ghost pensioners, CHOGM-related corruption and sh51b lost to corruption in the water and sanitation sector.
These articles follow other corruption-related articles for example the sh900m stolen from the National Forest Authority’s boss’s bedroom.
What an astonishment to all Ugandans in villages especially those who get to know these issues yet they cannot even afford a meal.
One wonders where Uganda is headed with all these acts of corruption. One also wonders what kind of lessons Ugandans in the public and private offices are passing on to the young generation in homes and schools who read these articles on corruption in our newspapers.
As a scholar of leadership, I believe we are destroying opportunities for the future generation in trying to meet our pseudo and contemporary life needs through corruption. At one time, we will give accountability of our actions to these children and we will pay heavily for our actions.
All the billions being lost to corruption are meant to bring life to the lifeless and those pensioners who offered their early days to work for Uganda. The water money is meant to provide water to Ugandans who yearly suffer from diarrhoea and other water-related diseases. Some of the swindled money is meant to provide food through NAADS programmes to those who sleep hungry.
Such billions would as well be used to fund maternal health and safe motherhood programmes for thousands of mothers dying due to pregnancy and childbirth-related complications. Currently, Uganda loses 435 mothers for every 100,000 live births.
The number of deaths daily stands at 14 mothers — meaning close to 5,000 mothers die annually due to inadequate emergency obstetric care services in health facilities. This is no laughing.
President Museveni has demonstrated a high level of commitment to fighting the rampant corruption, but a lot still deserves to be done.
We all need to play a part in the fight against corruption, failure of which our society will be doomed.
There is no need to point fingers anymore, without self-owned actions. We need to assert a countrywide state of action, take stock, reflect and act concisely and urgently each one in his or her own circle of influence.
Parents are cashing bribes for their sons and daughters to get elected as prefects in schools. The youth have learnt to get jobs through bribing employers.
Women are stealing from their husbands and vice-versa. Service delivery tenders cannot be offered without bribes. Corruption is not only looming in the public offices, but also in the Christian and Muslim community.
What should we do to reverse the trend? We all must act in our small ways and we will succeed in the battle. We must be united on this. As a country we may be divided on other issues, but on corruption we need each other.
Our leaders need to set aside a week every month of anti-corruption campaigns countrywide.
This week should be used to hasten the President’s call to end corruption.
The national anti-corruption group should work with the academia to urgently put together tangible data and information on the problem of corruption.
The data should analyse its current trends, effects and future impact including on leadership in the public and private institutions and homes.
This data should be used during the anti-corruption campaign week to guide the media messages since we have FM radios all over the country. The data would also be used to guide primary, secondary and tertiary institution debates and dialogues all over the country. In addition, the data should be used to guide Friday, Saturday and Sunday meets for all Christian and Muslim communities to break the silence on corruption.
During the anti-corruption weeks, people should write newspaper articles, exposing corruption in their communities.
Parents would use the week messages to talk to children in homes about the need for a corrupt free Uganda. Only then would district councils and the Parliament discuss the corruption trends, effects and any need for a strong law.
This would help save our nation and the future generation. And this done more than once and routinely in our country, would help build a generation that knows and trusts that as adults, wherever we are and whatever we do, we are committed to building a corrupt-free Uganda. However, as of now, our children stand to hold us accountable.
Let us all join hands to end corruption now or never.
The writer is the executive director
Action for Community Development, Uganda