After of a week-long of activities in the country against corruption, the anti-corruption agencies yesterday 9th December celebrated international anti-corruption day at Kololo airstrip with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as the chief guest.
The event was attended by 300 invited dignitaries from various sectors of government and the private sector.
The Inspector General of Government Hon. Beti Kamya Turwomwe in her speech condemned corruption saying that it should be given a face.
‘We shall give corruption a face so that people can recognize it. We shall take it to the classroom and to everybody.’ Vowed IGG Beti Kamya.
In tune with the theme of the day, the IGG said ‘The face of corruption is that lavish lifestyle that is not commensurate with a person’s legitimate source of income, that is expensive car, mansion, those family holidays abroad, expensive schools for one’s children.’
Kamya also stated that there is public outcry to catch the big fish and because the big fish are slippery that’s why there is need for the lifestyle audit.
The Chief of guest president Museveni also spoke against corruption comparing it to AIDS saying it takes over your cells. Museveni continued to say that the NRM has been clearly against corruption from the start.
“When the NRM came on the scene, we insisted that people must have their voice. You can have your MPs and councilors, but the people must have their own voice. They must elect their own government.’’ President Museveni said.
Museveni thanked and applauded IGG Kamya on her speech and asked that alongside the lifestyle audit the performance audit should be added as a way to curb corruption.
“I believe in the parable of talents. It is a curse to get wealth through corruption. God doesn’t bless people who do evil. Even those who took slaves got problems,” This was made by President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday during the launch of the Lifestyle audit, a new anti-corruption tactic introduced by the Inspectorate of Government.
This is exactly what is reflected in the bible, Hosea 9:9- ‘they have gone deep in depravity as in the days of Gibeah; He will remember their iniquity, He will punish their sins and in 1 Corinthians 15:33-“Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”
According to President, some people want wealth but don’t know how to work, adding that he doesn’t believe in miraculous wealth.
“I am calling upon the different government bodies charged with fighting corruption to rise up to the task without fear. I have told the Chief Justice that he should expect to find “a plateful” of “criminals” to be charged with corruption,” President noted.
President Museveni insists that one cannot keep talking about corruption while drawing too much salary for doing “nothing” adding that he was happy with the lifestyle audit campaign but also urged for the introduction of a performance audit campaign too.
“The doctors see some people getting so much, and then you tell them there is no money. This is why I refused my salary to be increased. You can’t say tighten your belt when you are loosening yours!” President said.
Other methods that have been employed to fight corruption include training of 11,000 community monitoring groups where 269 cases were reported and concluded and training of over 540 officers who did 2469 financial audits.
With the anti-corruption agencies working together, 21bn of the tax payers money has been recovered, 29m in malaria drugs and over 134m paid by corrupt agencies.