The Inspector General of Government (IGG), Ms Beti Kamya, addresses Parliament’s Ad hoc Committee in 2022. Her entity is in charge of fighting graft. PHOTO/FILE
For years, Uganda has registered poor performance in the corruption fight as ranked by different anti-corruption agencies and international bodies, including the World Bank.
Transparency International, a global movement against corruption that assesses the corruption index globally first assessed Uganda in 1996, where the country came in 43rd position out of 54 countries.
Two years later when the country was assessed, it jumped by 30 places to 73rd position out of 85 countries, while a year later, Uganda went to 87th position out of 90 countries, qualifying as one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
For the last seven years, when the number of sampled countries increased from 176 to 180, Uganda has been oscillating in the pack of the 36 worst-ranked and has on average been among the 24 most corrupt in the world over the past 12 years, according to Transparency International.
While Uganda government officials and politicians have been involved in some grand corruption scandals, an analysis of Transparency International shows no correlation between big corruption scandals known in Uganda and Transparency International’s ranking in the same year.
For instance, Uganda was 42nd and 58th most corrupt in 2005 and 2006 in the world when allegations of abuse of the $367 million Global Fund for HIV/Aids, malaria and tuberculosis and the Shs7.9 billion Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), respectively, rocked the nation.
Also, in the year of the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) summit in Kampala in which then vice president Gilbert Bukenya, was accused of corruption, sent to prison , and later exonerated, Uganda was ranked 11th out of 180 sampled countries.
The data presented shows no evidence that the plethora of anti-corruption agencies and legislation put in place are bearing fruits to reduce graft in the country, despite the tough rhetoric.
However, the minister of ICT and National Guidance yesterday blamed the anti-corruption agencies in the country for Uganda’s poor ranking in the global corruption perception index.
Dr Chris Baryomunsi, who is also the government spokesperson, said there is political will and all laws and policies are in place to tackle corruption, “but the anti-corruption agencies have gone to sleep on their jobs”.
“The commitment to fight corruption remains total on the side of the political leadership of the country. However, what seems to be failing us are the responsible institutions, which have a constitutional mandate of investigating,” said Dr Baryomunsi.
“For instance, when you look at what has been going on in the Parliament, we have not seen the IGG swing into action, we have not seen Auditor General swing into action, I have not heard the StateHouse Anti-Corruption Unit swing into action. Are they waiting for the government to blow the whistle and tell them you go and investigate them and bring us the report?” Dr Baryomonsi questioned.
Parliament for the larger part of the first half of 2024 has been thrown in the mud of corruption after it emerged that billions of taxpayers’ money was swindled through corruption allegedly orchestrated by the Speaker of Parliament’s office. Billions of shillings went to individual accounts while parliamentary commissioners also rewarded themselves handsomely for a job well done through “service awards”.
All the investigative arms of government have remained tightlipped over the matter while inside sources said the President has ordered multiple investigations, whose results are expected to be kept under key and lock.
“I think that’s what I see as part of the problem, but the government remains committed and our policy remains zero tolerance to corruption. I would like to challenge the anti-corruption agencies, the goal is to do thorough work, adduce evidence, and then offer whatever is the solution to our problems,” Dr Baryomonsi added.
According to the Transparency International report, in earlier years; in 1996, when Museveni first got an electoral mandate, and in 2001, when he was reelected, Transparency International sampled under 100 countries each year worldwide. Over those five years, Uganda on average was the ninth most corrupt country.
The data shows that Uganda’s worst evaluations were in 2001 and 2002, coming 88 out of 91 and 93 out of 102 corrupt countries sampled.
In 2001 specifically, it was ranked third-to-last on the Corruption Perception Index, meaning Uganda marginally survived the global most corrupt country label.
Combine effort
Dr Baryomonsi told this publication yesterday that Ugandans should not leave the fight to the government and its agencies, but play a pivotal role in informing the investigating agencies to tackle the problem.
“But also, Uganda should report if there is corruption where they have evidence, because if you don’t report, it may sometimes be difficult for the government to know that there is a problem here,” he said.
Put to task to explain whether there is political will to fight corruption when former IGG Irene Mulyagonja claimed that some corrupt officials were “hiding behind the President’’, the minister said there is no evidence to support the claim.
“…but she was also very short of naming them. Did she come out to say, I was trying to prosecute so and so and the President shielded the person? As an IGG, if somebody runs and hides behind the President, you can make an appointment with the President to give you an audience and you get guidance from him. Did she name anybody? Sometimes also people hide their inefficiencies behind the name of the President,” he said.
He challenged agencies such the Inspectorate of Government and others to take on the so-called powerful politicians who shield the corrupt.
“If they run and hide behind my back, then she should expose me and say, it is you, Chris, who is hiding the criminal,” he said.
