Oyam locals use name and shame strategy to fight graft

Residents in Oyam District have resorted to ‘name and shame’ strategy to fight corruption that has reportedly spread to some districts in Lango sub-region.
The residents say they opted for this method because institutions which would have helped in the fight against corruption are being used for personal enrichment of public officials and other corrupt private agents.

How it works
The locals first identify social accountability-related issues within their communities. The issues are unearthed by locally trained members of the community called Independent Budget Monitors (IBMs), whose mandate is to monitor public expenditure at service delivery units. When corruption-related issues are identified, the matters are then brought to the attention of public offices such as that of the Resident District Commissioner. But if no action is taken, the issues are then packaged in form of drama by a forum theatre group trained in anti-corruption and social accountability issues. The forum theatre group knows the laws of fighting corruption, and the institutions that are struggling to stem the vice.

With support from The Apac Anti-corruption Coalition (TAACC), an invitation is then sent across to every responsible duty bearer, right from the service user (citizen) up to the highest organ of the state.
A meeting is convened and locals are then invited to the drama dubbed “forum theatre play” by use of the public address system. Participants are entertained as they receive the message on the fight against corruption. After a short play that often lasts less than one hour, suspected corrupt individuals are invited to the stage to explain the circumstances under which they should be exonerated.

The public accountability forum takes place in an open-air gathering.
“We feel the drama is an incentive that brings us together, first of all, to come and laugh but also in an entertaining way we receive the message on the fight against corruption,” said Mr Bonny Etime, an LC1 chairperson in Abongomola Sub-county, Kwania District.

The “name and shame” strategy appears to be working as last Wednesday, the missing Shs2.4m collected by residents of Adyegi parish as contribution towards the development of Adyegi Health Centre II in 2015 was recovered.
This was after the locals tasked the duty bearers to account for the money. Having been exposed, those implementing the project on behalf of the community confessed that they indeed mismanaged the fund and were later given only two weeks to refund it.

Residents advised
The Oyam District police commander, Mr Victor Saasi Kule, encouraged the community not to give up the fight against corruption if they are to enjoy effective and quality service delivery. He reminded them that the President is against corruption and has always talked of zero tolerance to corruption. “As a public servant I work under the government and I must make sure the interests of the government of Uganda are fulfilled,” Mr Kule said last week.

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