Corruption is the worst public menace in Uganda

Prof George W. Kanyeihamba

What you need to know:

Corruption. Until such time as the Uganda government and the Judiciary show that they regard corruption as a serious problem in this country, Ugandans will never believe that anyone is worried about corruption and bribery in the country.

Many years ago, President Museveni underestimated the scourge of corruption by casually remarking that considering he has defeated armed thugs who were threatening the peace and security of Uganda and eliminated gun-wielding bandits, how can he fail to fight the corrupt who are petty criminals and eliminate them altogether?
Unfortunately, Ugandan and foreign victims and observers now know that the NRM government and Museveni, who has led for more than 30 years, have miserably failed to effectively fight, let alone defeat the endemic national cancer of corruption.
On the contrary, the scourge has steadily multiplied and affected every aspect of public life, if not private of everyone. Most Ugandans, including those who work for, elect, support and pray for the NRM government, have all become victims of corruption.
Corruption has spared no one, not even the President, the Speaker of Parliament or the Chief Justice. Ministers, civil servants, VIPs and ordinary citizens have all in one way or another been victims of corruption in Uganda.

Interestingly, President Museveni himself has shown the way from time to time how the evil of corruption can be fought against.
Only recently he terminated the services of some doctors and medical officials who he found to be corrupt. Government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo in a recent newspaper publication pointed out how the corrupt survive and retain their ill-gotten gains by giving an example of one NRM high official.
Chief Justice Bart Katureebe recently appealed to Ugandans to report corrupt judicial officers and promised that the Judiciary will discipline them.

It is such a pity that the learned Chief Justice has forgotten so quickly. It may be recalled that Justice Katureebe personally set up a number of fact-finding missions to investigate and report judges and judicial officers who are alleged to be engaged in the racket of corruption and bribe-taking.
Since then, it seems Ugandans and especially journalists have shied away from asking the Chief Justice about what has happened to all those judicial officers named in the reports.
Until such time as the Uganda government and the Judiciary show that they regard corruption as a serious problem in this country, Ugandans will never believe that anyone is worried about corruption and bribery in the country.

On the contrary, all evidence available points to one direction and that is the current political system of Uganda is sustained by corruption and related known undemocratic devices such as nepotism, sectarianism, financial strings, intimidation and coercion. Corruption is here to stay until there is change of heart or guards in Uganda.