Stop celebrating the corrupt, IGG tells Ugandans

The Deputy Inspector General of Government (IGG) has cautioned the public against celebrating government officials involved in corruption, noting that such actions undermine efforts to fight corruption.

Earlier this week, the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court granted bail to three Members of Parliament facing charges related to budget corruption. 

After their release from Luzira prison, many people were seen dancing and chanting the names of some of the MPs who were granted bail by the court.

Bailed legislators included Paul Akamba (Busiki County), Yusuf Mutembuli (Bunyole East) and Cissy Namujju Dionizza (Woman Representative for Lwengo).

“It is disheartening to see the public celebrating the release of corrupt culprits from prison, as these individuals are responsible for perpetuating poverty,” deputy IGG Ann Muheirwe remarked on Thursday during a learning event organized by Enabel, in collaboration with the Private Sector Foundation (PSF).

She added: “We sanction the culprits and recover stolen funds. However, prosecuting these cases in court is often difficult due to a lack of evidence or the unwillingness of victims to come forward. Therefore, we sometimes focus on recovering stolen funds.”

According to the IGG report, graft in Uganda is estimated at 33 percent, and the country loses over Shs10 trillion annually due to corruption. Globally, 5 percent of the economy is lost each year to corruption.

“Corruption is secretive, making it difficult to detect. For example, people often pay bribes to secure jobs, and District Service Commissions are notorious for corruption in recruitment processes. The private sector is involved in both the supply and demand sides of corruption; it is a victim, enabler, and facilitator,” Muheirwe observed.

“It harms the private sector by increasing the cost of doing business, reducing profitability, stifling competition, and breeding inefficiency. If we can defeat corruption, we can create a more efficient private sector,” she added.

The event was part of the four-year Skills, Attitude, Governance, and Anti-Corruption (SG Plus) project, which aims to advance Uganda’s business landscape through robust governance and anti-corruption measures.

Ronny Mulongo, Project Director of SG Plus, mentioned that the project has implemented an e-procurement system managed by the Ministry of Finance and PPDA, which has reduced physical interaction during the bidding process for government projects, thereby curbing corruption.

“In the past, you had to physically submit your documents, but the e-system has limited such interactions. It has also reduced the cost of stationery for companies, as everything is now done electronically,” Mr Mulongo said.

He added, “If data costs were lower, it would be even easier for businesses to use the system, as it would not require significant data expenses.”