UDN honours International Anti-corruption Day with public dialogue to discuss Government’s Efforts to fight corruption
KAMPALA - The Uganda Debt Network has expressed concern over the Government’s failure to implement efforts geared towards fighting corruption. In a paper presented at a public dialogue on the International Anti-corruption day, December 9th, UDN laments that though the Government has instituted impressive laws and policies to fight corruption, corruption levels remain high.
Uganda has one of the most comprehensive legal, institutional and policy frameworks against corruption and for the efficient and effective management of public office in Sub-Sahara Africa. Inspite their presence corruption, misuse and wastage of public resources and property seem to have become entrenched rather than diminished. Corruption has become a way of life ranging to the extent that no public service can be delivered without payment of a bribe.
A dossier compiled by the Uganda Debt Network for the period 1990 – 1999 revealed that over sh1.2 trillion might have got lost in corruption and related practices in public office in Uganda. The Inspectorate of Government has twice carried out the National Integrity Surveys (NIS) whose results have shown that corruption is rampant in almost all public offices without exception including Office of the President.
UDN argues that the Government has undertaken several initiatives to deal with alleged corruption cases, but the impact of such actions on the levels of corruption remains questionable. This is mainly because government is seen to be selective in deciding who to prosecute and dealing with recommendations of Commissions of Inquiry. An anti-corruption Court was established to try cases of corruption and it has so far convicted several people on charges of corruption. However, the Court is situated in Kampala which has an impact on trying cases from up country. There is need to decentralize anti-corruption Court.
UDN Executive Director Mr. Patrick Tumwebaze said majority of corruption stories reported by the press and discussed by radio talk shows involve electoral corruption, corruption in foreign direct investment deals and corruption in the of donor funds, especially at local government levels.
He asked there is need for the Government to review the public procurement processes as the current CHOGM inquiries have exposed the gaps in procurement processes. The most perverse corruption is in the procurement of goods and services where government loses billions of shillings every year. Successful prosecution and recovery of squandered public funds will be the ultimate test of whether Government is indeed fully committed in pursuing a sustained anti- corruption policy and providing clean leadership. Many anti corruption crusaders describe the efforts so far taken as mere window dressing.
UDN has steered a number of campaigns in the fight against corruption by doing a number of research of corruption. Notably among them was the campaign to improve guidelines in the Constituency Development Fund, the purchase of Minister and MPs vehicles, the Pension scheme among others.
At the local government level, UDN has trained over 1000 community monitors in 14 districts and empowered them with skills to be able to monitor the quality of service deleivery of government programmes especially in Primary Health Care, Universal primary Education, provison if safe water, management of rural feefer roads and many other government programmes geared towards the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).
See full Research paper
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