Corruption as an underlying cause of various developmental problems can be curbed for development to take course. Uganda is one of the countries that has been through a series of corruption related cases and is trying all it takes to put it to an end. The Anti-Corruption agencies have registered and handled corruption scandals in the last years as well as recently.
According to the Inspector General of Government’s (IGG) 2022 report, the anti-corruption agencies managed to recover over Shs600b from corruption related cases.
In 2022, the Statehouse Anti-Corruption Unit arrested over 52 Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) over corruption and billions of cash recovered from the Parish Development Model (PDM) program after being swindled by some district officials.
In a bid to curb corruption, several measures have been put in place and implementations made. For instance over the past two years, the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has fired and arrested 10 staff and suspended 18 others as a result of corruption.
Ibrahim Bbosa, the URA Spokesperson has revealed that some of the measures adopted in 2022 by the authority to curtail corruption, is the lifestyle audit policy and introducing instant Taxpayer Identification Number since staff were using it to swindle money.
On Friday, January 27, 2023 during the memorial lecture of the late Emmanuel Tumusiime Mutebile, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni condemned the corruption in URA saying that it is the reason for reduced revenue in form of taxes, something that slows economic development of the country.
During the 37th National Liberation Day celebrations at Kakumiro on Thursday, 26, the President vowed to take serious action against corrupt government officials and promised the populace how corruption shall be stamped out of Uganda. He also congratulated some government agencies that have played a pivotal role in fighting corruption.
Corruption in Uganda is characterized by theft of public funds and petty corruption involving public officials. According to the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International, Uganda was listed as the 144 least corrupt nation out of 180 countries.
Corruption, embezzlement, fraud, are all characteristics which exist everywhere. However, if a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel that everyone has to play a role by not getting involved in the vice, avoid giving or receiving bribes and reporting the culprits to the relevant authorities for the law to take precedence for successful economies.
