IGG makes U-turn on ‘low pay fuelling corruption’ statement

After identifying low pay in 2017 as one of the major causes of corruption in the country, the Inspector General of Government has now changed her position on the matter.
The IGG, Ms Irene Mulyagonja has dismissed claims that enhancing salaries for the people holding public and private offices will not stop the vice in the country.

"Some people think when we give people more salaries we shall solve the problem of corruption. That is out, we need to improve the services in institutions. It leaves us in a situation of the egg and the chicken, what came first," Ms Mulyagonja said.
The IGG made the remarks as she launched an assessment research on implementation of Justice Law and Order Sector (JLOS) anti-corruption strategy at Hotel Africana.
She said the problem of corruption will rather be solved through improving services because the gap leaves the country in a chicken-egg dilemma.

She added: "The key person to fight corruption is not the person in the institution, it is the people who are out of the institution who will fight the problem of corruption. That is why we are always encouraging all the people to remain vigilant."
In October 2017, Justice Mulyangonja said: “Government officials who are engaged in corruption and those influencing it understand it to be a way for them to earn a higher income…it explains the increasing trends, the increasing corruption in government departments, the low salaries that are given to employees.”

Ms Mulyagonja was a key speaker during the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) meeting with Suppliers in Kampala where she complained that that professionals continue to be paid peanuts yet expected to manage procurement deals worth trillions of shillings.