Prime
Cynicism in the graft war only feeds beast of shame
President Museveni and Speaker of Parliament Anita Among.
What you need to know:
- The issue: War on corruption.
- Our view: The President must sustain the war and abandon the idea of differentiating between mistake-makers and dishonest people.
President Museveni’s renewed war against corruption has begun to elicit optimism as well as cynicism in a country where failure to stamp out the vice, costs taxpayers more than Shs9 trillion every year.
Sceptics say, like many high-profile corruption scandals documented under his 38-year leadership, the arrest of Members of Parliament, civil servants and others named in Budget graft and cooperatives scandals, is a well-choreographed stunt that seeks to disguise long years of lip service and perhaps boost the National Resistance Movement (NRM) support ahead of the 2026 General Election.
In the war against corruption, cynicism only feeds the beast of shame and in some ways constrains concerted efforts to defeat thieves in the system. After years of procrastination, the President has promised to leave no stone unturned in the fight against corruption. As the saying goes, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.
As citizens, our differences notwithstanding, we shouldn’t allow pessimism to hinder collective efforts to stamp out corruption. The war against thieves is long and difficult but not insurmountable as long as we are disciplined, strong-minded, unswerving, and focused. Cynicism stifles well-intentioned anti-corruption efforts and breeds numbness in the face of great pain and sorrow.
Investigations into corruption allegations and arrests must continue until all the thieves are kicked out of government and private offices. The Inspectorate of Government (IGG) must seize suspects’ assets and compel them to refund stolen taxpayers’ money. We must turn corruption into a risky venture. The President needs our support in this endeavour, and any attempts to backpedal must be booed in public interest.
The victims must own the war against corruption and shout at thieving officials and their accomplices without mincing words. Corruption, according to the IGG, affects citizens in their everyday lives as it constrains their access to basic and vitally important public services. This beast of shame has worsened poverty, unemployment and it remains one of the major obstacles for the political and economic development of our country.
In 2021, the IGG initiated the research on the cost of corruption in Uganda with support from the German government, and established that we are losing Shs9.1 trillion annually which is equivalent to 44 percent of total government revenue in 2019. In other words, IGG found that corruption cost each Ugandan in 2019 at least Shs200,000.
Regrettably, some members of the three cooking stones – Executive, Parliament and Judiciary – have been implicated in serious corruption scandals.
To regain public confidence, the President must sustain the war and abandon the idea of differentiating between mistake-makers and dishonest people.
