Speaker Anita Among (R) receives the bi-annual report from the Inspectorate of Government on October 3, 2024. PHOTO | HANDOUT | PARLIAMENT
The Inspectorate of Government (IG) received more than 300 complaints from Kampala District between July 2023 and June 2024, according to two FY2023/2024 IG-Bi-Annual Performance Reports.
These reports were presented by the Inspector General of Government (IGG), Ms Beti Kamya, to the Speaker of Parliament, Ms Anita Among, last week.
The reports revealed that Kampala had the highest number of complaints at 343, followed by Wakiso with 121, Mbale with 109, and Mukono with 65. The IG estimated that Shs9.1 trillion was lost to various corruption schemes.
The major complaints included abuse of office, embezzlement, bribery, misappropriation of funds, false accounting, extortion, causing financial loss, nepotism, and other forms of corruption.
In the first report, covering July to December 2023, the IG registered 1,276 complaints, with Kampala leading at 119 complaints, followed by Wakiso (65) and Mbale (36).
The second report, covering the first half of 2024, showed 1,657 complaints, with Kampala again leading at 224, followed by Mbale (73) and Wakiso (56).
Anti-corruption activists, however, claim the number of corruption cases is much higher than reported. Mr Marlon Agaba, the executive director of the Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda (ACCU), attributed the high numbers in urban areas like Kampala, Mukono, Wakiso, and Mbale to better access and heightened awareness.
"We need to ensure citizens in all districts can report effectively because corruption is widespread, but the reported cases are fewer," Mr Agaba said.
Ms Munira Ali, the IG spokesperson, explained that Kampala’s high numbers are due to its location and the IG’s intensified awareness campaigns.
"Kampala, being the capital and hosting most government ministries and agencies, sees more cases. Urban residents also have easier access to our offices and can report cases via email," she noted.
From January to June 2024, over 10 complaints originated from 60 districts, an increase from the first half of FY2023/24, which saw only 27 districts reporting more than 10 complaints. Five districts, including Bukedea, Amuru, and Katakwi, had only one complaint each during the same period.
In total, the IG received 2,933 complaints in FY2023/2024, with 1,310 complaints lodged against local governments, followed by 244 anonymous reports, 139 against the police, 123 against government agencies, and 120 against ministries.
The IG's Kampala office received 821 complaints, followed by the Hoima regional office with 736. Other regional offices, such as Arua and Fort Portal, registered significantly fewer cases.
Out of the total complaints, the IG sanctioned investigations into 2,444 cases, including 1,118 related to corruption, 660 concerning leadership, and 601 ombudsman cases.
"The IG has 16 regional offices responsible for investigating corruption in local governments. Between January and June 2024, 308 cases were concluded, including 66 high-impact cases and 242 others related to local government corruption," the report stated.
The report also highlighted the IG’s public engagement through social, print, and electronic media, as well as community training programmes.
"During the reporting period, the IG investigated and concluded 423 corruption cases in MDAs and local governments. As a result, Shs15.7 billion was recommended for recovery, and 604 administrative sanctions were issued to public officers. Fourteen public officials were recommended for prosecution," the report concluded.
