Government needs integrity, not money to fight corruption

Government has set plans to spend Shs117.7 billion to implement the new zero tolerance to corruption policy and stem the vice.
The policy, as Mr Ofwono Opondo, the executive director of Uganda Media Centre put it, is to renew government’s commitment to the fight against corruption through strengthening coordination among stakeholders for effective implementation of anti-corruption measures.
According to Fr Simon Lokodo, the Ethics and Integrity State minister, the money will be used to effectively fight corruption and to inculcate into Ugandans a culture of integrity, accountability and patriotism.
The general view, however, is quite different from what government holds. The fight against corruption lies elsewhere, in the laws and morals of people. By saying we put a lot of money in the fight against corruption, which may also be swindled, is like saying you want to buy happiness.

True, money is needed to fight corruption, but colossal sums may instead abet it. Government has anti-graft laws and a couple of institutions and organs to fight the vice.
The Inspectorate of Government is an independent institution charged with the responsibility of eliminating corruption, abuse of authority and of public office.
It also enforces the Leadership Code Act which provides for a minimum standard of behaviour and conduct for leaders, requiring them to declare their incomes, assets and liabilities, with a view of ensuring leaders acquire properties the right way.
Even Parliament has the Public Accounts Committee, so do districts. Additionally, we have the Ministry of Ethics and Integrity, and all these organs and institutions have their own budgets.
So before Cabinet approves more funding to the fight against graft, the core anti-corruption institutions need to demonstrate their efforts in combating corruption.
The fight against corruption rests in many things; when workers earn commiserate to their effort and cost of living, when the moral integrity is high, when service delivery is up to scratch, and when the general satisfaction index among the people is above average.
Trying to inculcate integrity in people who have been corrupt for 20 years is an uphill task. Instead, such corrupt tendencies should be heavily punished to make it risky for the offenders.
Attaching properties of culprits will scare away the would-be offenders because they will know that when caught, they will lose the ill-gotten wealth.