We need to make corruption a risky venture for everyone
What you need to know:
- The issue: Corruption.
- Our view: It is our call to the head of State to clarify on his recent statement. This is because it risks undoing the many achievements that his fight against corruption has so far achieved.
President Museveni’s stand on corruption in the category he termed as “corruption by mistake” when he delivered his State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday, has left a section of the citizenry questioning his stance on fighting the cancerous vice that has eaten the core of our institutions.
A few days ago, during the Martyrs’ Day celebrations, the country’s chief executive officer raised the citizens’ hopes of how this time around he was to make big pronouncements on the anti-graft fight.
Indeed, he started well during the SONA by assuring the nation that he now has evidence of a corruption racket orchestrated in the Finance ministry and fine-tuned in Parliament for personal gains and that they will be crushed.
Members of Parliament (MPs) and other high-ranking guests who were in attendance chanted that corrupt government officials should now face the courts of law and not be given any amnesty as the President had earlier proposed.
Minutes later, the President said the category of the corrupt-by-mistake should be forgiven, unlike corruption by the dishonest people.
“If we punish all the corrupt, whom shall we work with?” he asked.
We think that this statement by the country’s CEO could be interpreted as him going soft on the corrupt.
If misinterpreted, his recent statement could undermine the fight against the cancerous vice in the country.
Statistics from the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) show that the country loses more than Shs10 trillion annually in corruption schemes.
Shs10 trillion is more than 20 percent of this country’s national budget which can do so many infrastructure projects to help improve the lives of the wananchi.
The President’s statement could demoralise the anti-graft government agencies such as the IGG, police, and Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
It’s, therefore, our call to the head of State to clarify on his recent statement. This is because it risks undoing the many achievements that his fight against corruption has so far achieved.
Just like in God’s kingdom; there is no small sin or big sin, so all corruption schemes should be handled harshly according to the laws of the land. We need to make corruption a risky venture for the public servants who indulge in it for their selfish gains.
