Have we progressed in corruption fight?

Appreciation. President Museveni receives an award from Ms Delia Ferreira Rubio, the chairperson of Transparency International, for his efforts towards fighting corruption. PHOTO BY ABUBAKER LUBOWA

Two news items caught my eye yesterday. The first was of a representative of Transparency International presenting an award to our illustrious President for “his fight against corruption”.
The other was a headline in a local newspaper telling us that security operatives apparently were shocked at the wealth of Bank of Uganda officials. The question that immediately came to my mind on reading each of those items was, why get surprised?

You may wonder why I ask myself that question. First, the very Transparency International ranks Uganda 151 out of 176 countries assessed, in the corruption perception index. The countries that are worse off than our Uganda are not those one would consider as paragons of virtue, including (in no particular order) North Korea, DR Congo, South Sudan, Somalia and Afghanistan. So, while I congratulate the President on his win, I still wonder about the procedure Transparency International based on to give this award to Mr Museveni.
May be the President should have been recognised for his undoubted personal integrity because clearly, the country he is in charge still has a lot to do in the fight against corruption.

Now on to our “security people” being shocked at the wealth of Bank of Uganda officials. With a ranking of 151 by Transparency International, is it any wonder that people in high places are stinking rich, perhaps through illicit goings-on? If they are really that shocked, then who is supposed to be our watchdog? I get shocked when something unexpected happens around me. When I get home and I find my home as I expect, I am not shocked. Similarly, our investigators should not be shocked at the wealth of people in charge of national resources or of those that collaborate with them in the private sector, we have come to expect that. The evidence is all over the place, if only they want to see it.

For God and my country.
HGK Nyakoojo
Buziga, Kampala.