Anti-Graft CSOs call for Whistleblowers' fund

CORRUPTION|CSOs|SHACU

KAMPALA - The Anti-Corruption Civil Society Organisations have called for an establishment of a special fund for whistleblowers to easily boost the fight against corruption.

The Executive Director Transparency International, Peter Wandera says absence of a fund to facilitate and support those willing to report and track some of the corruption related cases remains a big blow to the fight in the country.

"This is a very big challenge because these people need to be facilitated to report and track these cases. Without this fund, many cases go unfollowed," he said.

Wandera made the remarks while speaking at the ongoing 9th Anti-Corruption Convention under the theme: "Promoting Social Accountability through Active Citizenry," at Bugolobi Royal Suites in Kampala.

The event is organised by ActionAid International Uganda (AAIU) together with Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda (ACCU), Transparency International Uganda (TIU), and Uganda Debt Network (UDN) among other partners, with support from the Democratic Governance Facility (DGF).

The event is aimed at identifying gaps and encouraging the citizens to take center stage in the fight against corruption.

The platform is used by citizens to engage duty bearers and provide evidence of transparency and accountability violations to the state and effects of corruption on public services in their different constituencies.

Wandera noted that government, CSOs, and other anti-corruption agencies need to rethink to put in place an active and sounding whistleblowers' fund to deal with the loopholes which affect the fight against corruption.

He stressed that with the current situation where there is even no witness protection law, the fight against the vice remains complicated, a reason why many cases cannot be easily investigated to conclusion.

Speaking at the convention, the head of the State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU), Col. Edith Nakalema said the war against corruption should be everyone's duty.

She also clarified that the perception that her unit is exposed to a lot of money is not true.

"We do not have a budget, we are under the State House Comptroller. Our employees fall under their respective pay grades," she added.

She revealed that with the intervention of the SHACU in Post Bank woes, they were able to help it recover from its downward performance of sh3bn to now sh8.8bn.

She said no one is above the law that cannot be fished out for corruption. She added that in two years of the SHACU, they have managed to arrest 248 people and arraigned in courts of law. 

She said out of these 24 were convicted and sentenced.

"Our biggest challenge is the fear of people appearing as State witnesses. On average we have about 300 reports per day, but not all secure a successful conviction because the witnesses shy away from testifying," Nakalema said.

However, Nakalema warned the public against impersonators who guise as SHACU officers, stressing that if "anyone comes in our name without prior notice, they are impersonators and should be handed over to the Police."

The ACCU executive director, Cissy Kagaba said the theme comes at the right time during the election period, where some politicians are bribe voters.

"These are the very politicians who will still be swindling public funds once elected into office. Voters need to look at such people," she added.