Nnabagereka to use cultural education to fight corruption
Jan 09, 2020
The chairperson of NDF, Andrew Adrian Mukiibi, said human values are key in shaping character and human transformation.
CORRUPTION
The Nnabagereka of Buganda, Sylvia Nagginda, has partnered with Parliament to fight corruption.
The partnership, which is through the Nnabagereka Development Foundation (NDF), focuses on curbing corruption tendencies through emphasising human values and ethics (Obuntubulamu) among MPs and other leaders.
The chairperson of NDF, Andrew Adrian Mukiibi, said human values are key in shaping character and human transformation.
"Buganda will equip the MPs with technical, modern and cultural skills of fighting corruption. This move is aimed at sharing experience, as well as agreeing on means to achieve more effective ways of discharging our roles," Mukiibi explained.
This was during an engagement between the NDF and the chairpersons of political caucuses in Parliament from Acholi, Alur, Buganda, Busoga, and Bunyoro at Golden Tulip Hotel in Kampala on Wednesday.
Mukiibi stressed that the drive will harness the power of cultural leadership to promote human values and ethics as a key driver to peace, development and social transformation.
"We aim at rectifying any wrong that has happened to that specific individual without necessarily prosecuting people," Mukiibi said.
Mukiibi explained that like the Kisakatee, the foundation will equip MPs with skills based on their cultures and values.
"For years, the Buganda tradition and morals have been of great importance and instilling morals into people, especially children, is a way of preparing them to face challenges in life wherever they are," he said.
Mukiibi noted that character is everything and when people have the right values instilled in them, they can never be shaken.
"We are sure that once people appreciate good values and are taught through the norms and customs centered on human values and ethics, corruption will be history," he explained.
Corruption refers to a favour offered, demanded or generated for personal gains, through illegal ways and by violating the proper norms.
Mukiibi also urged voters to elect a leader with integrity in the forthcoming 2021 general elections.
"Corruption is a disease, we want a leader that should not entertain and tolerate nonsense," he said.
Paul Akamba, the MP of Busiki County in Namutumba district, said strategic decision is imperative and good governance architecture is meant to provide a working solution to curb unethical behaviour, corruption and the culture of impunity.
"Moral standards in public service are severely affected by the selfish desires of individual public servants, who abuse their public positions at the expense of community service and moral order, which ought to hold the community together," he noted.
Akamba said with the intended leadership development and mentorship drive by the kingdom to the MPs, the change is paramount.
"The use of cultural education and heritage to reshape the traditions and minds of the legislators will go a long way in creating change, especially in the societies we lead," he explained.
Akamba added that the move seeks to have a society that embraces Obuntubulamu (Ubuntu/humanity) as a human capital asset.
"With the efforts from the Buganda kingdom and other cultural institutions, we hope to leverage culture in a novel effort to address critical and complex development challenges," he noted.
Daniel Muheirwe, the MP of Buhaguzi County in Hoima district, said this will deliver a wide impact through interrogating the dominant approach, through culture and working with partners.
"This is a good innovation for breeding a social movement that has the consequence of creating a new breed of transformative leadership and a morally responsible group of people," he explained.