IGG takes war against corruption to grassroots

The Inspectorate of Government (IG) has embarked on a programme to train and send out volunteer community monitors to report corruption cases in their communities.  
This is part of the Strengthening Action Against Corruption (STAAC) programme aimed at fighting corruption in the country. 

During an engagement with the community monitoring groups in Miirya Sub-county, Masindi District on Wednesday, the deputy Inspector General of Government (IGG), Ms Patricia Achan, said corruption in the country is increasing despite the various measures put in place by the government to fight it. 
“We have come up with a new strategy. We want the people to own the war against corruption. We don’t want to deal with the postmortem, early detection, early intervention,” Ms Achan said.  
She added that this is part of the IG objectives to increase stakeholders’ engagement.  
“It is the ordinary person who is the most affected. It is them that go to hospitals to find no drugs and services,” Ms Achan said.  

The deputy IGG added that the training of the community monitors is being done in partnership with the Recreation for Development and Peace (RDP). 
She said so far more than 650,000 people, from different parts of the country, have been trained. She added that they hope to expand the programme to churches, mosques and schools. 
“We need to involve them so that there is a mindset change and people will have a different perspective on corruption and when we own the war, will we go a long way to solve the problem,” Ms Achan said. 

The director of Project Risk, Monitoring and Control in the IG, Mr James Penywii, said the community monitors are their eyes and ears.   He said community engagement is key in ensuring that government projects are effective.  
The acting director of RDP, Ms Lydia Nyamata, urged the IG to hold more trainings to increase the number of community monitors.  
Ms Nyamata said several officials in Masindi District have been arrested for corruption as a result of theIR intervention.

“We need to empower more community members so that we are able to eradicate corruption. They are the ones on the ground and can detect corruption issues so that the taxpayers’ money is not misused,” Ms Nyamata said. 
However, the community monitors in Masindi District asked the government for transport facilitation in order to carry out their duties.  
The chairperson of the Biraisi Upper Watershed Monitoring Group, Mr Anselme Mugisha, said called for unity from the community, leaders and the IG to fight corruption.