Commend Bigirimana for his fight against corruption

trueBy Isaac Opolot

I wish to start my article with a quote about corruption from Frank Serpio:  The fight for justice against corruption is never easy and never will be. It exacts a toll on ourselves, our families, our friends and especially our children. In the end, I believe as is in my case, the price we pay is well worth holding on to our dignity'

Just as the above quote states, I feel pity over atoll the fight against corruption has had on Pius Bigirimana, his family, friends and children.

He must have been isolated and hated by work colleagues whose evil (corruption) he was exposing, but the fact that he stood out and stuck to his determination in the fight against corruption of PRDP funds (money meant to help northern Uganda recover) from the OPM is worth celebrating, especially given the fact that he could have also chosen to join in the looting in which case this theft would probably not have ended and the Kazinda's would still be at large.

Bigirimana recently released a book titled Corruption; A Tale of Wolves in Sheep's Clothing, which happened to be blessed by a foreword from one of the leading fighters against corruption in Uganda, none other than President Yoweri Museveni.

The President describes Bigirimana as selfless; an attitude (Patriotism) which I feel must be adopted by most Ugandans.

It should be a book of interest to all stakeholders involved in the fight against corruption in this country, especially in the public offices because it is a firsthand account of events that transpire in the public offices as public funds are swindled as observed by Bigirimana who observed and later exposed the corruption, which was going on at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) at the time he served as a permanent secretary there which was only the right thing a responsible officer should have done.

In his book Bigirimana emphasises that the profiling corruption is as a result of systemic failures, something that the government must look into seriously, if corruption is to be tackled. He also emphasised the root cause analysis of corruption as a very fundamental step in the fight against corruption. Obviously, tackling a problem must first involve identifying the root causes!

He also gives advice to the government on how to tackle corruption, especially in public service, because that is the area he knows best having served there for a quite long time.

He advices shake up of public service to get rid of incompetent performers, undertake human resource reforms on recruitment and promotion, blacklisting of individuals with corruption tendencies, not promoting corrupt officials, increase pay of civil servant to minimise their vulnerability to corruption, he also stresses routine value for money audits, forensic audits, barazas etc.

For coming out to expose the corruption and going ahead to share his experience with us about fighting corruption at the OPM and public service, Bigirimana should be applauded and his work should be popularised in the public and his proposals to the government on how to tackle corruption should be taken seriously as we strive to drive out this evil from Uganda. Public servants should be encouraged to emulate Bigirimana.

Supporting and encouraging Bigirimana will encourage other civil/public servants to also come out in their respective departments and going by Bigirimana's example fight corruption and in the end as the old adage goes 'if everyone swept in front of his or her street then the whole town will become clean'.

The writer a patriotism mobiliser and youth leader

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