Government tricks donors in graft fight- report

Kampala

Uganda is one of several aid-recipient countries worldwide that has created elaborate but largely ineffectual anti-corruption safeguards to dupe donors, an international anti-graft watchdog has said.

Ethics Ministers Nsaba Buturo has described as “nonsense” Global Integrity’s observation but agreed with the organisation’s conclusion highlighting “huge” mismatch between available institutions/legislations here and their actual enforcement.

The organisation, which yearly evaluates mechanisms countries put in place to combat corruption, in its 2009 report released on Tuesday, projects Uganda - rated at par with Eastern Europe’s struggling Bosnia/Herzegovina, as unwilling to punish thieving bureaucrats. “[These countries] have the dubious distinction of boasting the biggest ‘implementation gaps’ - that is, the gap between their anti-corruption laws ‘on the books’ and the actual enforcement of those same laws,” notes the report.

Rotten morals
It adds: “These two countries are also among the largest recipients of international donor assistance, lending credence to some who argue that political leaders in aid-dependent countries are skillful at establishing laws and institutions to meet foreign donor requirements despite those same laws and institutions failing to deliver for ordinary citizens.” Minister Buturo, however, said pilfering of public resources is on the higher end in Uganda due to “rotten morals” of some public servants, “sowing seeds of self-destruction”.

On the survey findings, Dr Buturo said: “To the extent the laws are in place and we are greatly challenged when it comes to implementation is a fair comment.” He denied that lack of goodwill from political executives had stymied the standard enforcement of the book rules. Instead, he said, skill gaps in investigation and prosecution, worsened by staffing shortfalls, undermine the capability of institutions to tame the corrupt.

Training needed
Last evening, Mr Raphael Baku, the acting inspector general of government, said the political will to facilitate anti-graft institutions to perform effectively is “inadequate”. “Our biggest problem with enforcement is that we (IGG staff) are thin on the ground - about 150 to cover the whole country. It’s true our staff require more training in investigation skills and better remuneration,” he said.

Over the past month, the ombudsman has arrested 21 public servants implicated in various forms of corrupt dealings across the country. Tuesday’s report shows that Kenyan and Zimbabwean coalition governments have failed to tackle corruption due to conflict of interest.