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The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has admitted that corruption in Uganda has reached “crisis” levels but guaranteed that the 9th Parliament would ruthlessly fight a vice that has bedevilled the NRM administration.
“I believe corruption is at a crisis level. It has become a malignant that all of us are used to it,” Ms Kadaga said.
She added that the 9th Parliament will not tolerate any corruption tendecies in government. Her comments were contained in a message read out on her behalf by Ndorwa West MP David Bahati on Tuesday at the end of the annual general meeting of the 5th East African Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities held in Entebbe.
To back her claim, the Speaker said research had shown that up to 20 per cent of the budgets for the East African member states end up in the pockets of the corrupt while millions continue to wallow in poverty.
She said the region is at a crossroads as corruption robs hardworking citizens of the opportunity to live better lives. “It is because of corruption that Africa continues to grapple with challenges of inadequate infrastructure, poverty, war, disease, famine, high maternal and infant mortality rates,” said the Kamuli Woman MP.
Discussions at the two-day conference focused on the strategies of promoting zero tolerance to corruption in East Africa.
Development hindered
Several delegates from Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan attended the conference. Despite a wide array of machinery at the government’s disposal to fight graft, the vice continues to blight development in the country, delegates heard.
That reality has left some like Judge John Bosco Katutsi, the former head of the Anti-Corruption Court, concluding that graft can only be solved if the culprits are hanged like it’s done in China. The World Bank, a few years ago, said at least Shs500 billion is lost due to graft in Uganda annually.
Ms Kadaga said Parliament had instituted measures to fight graft like the enactment of the Anti-Corruption Act, which strengthened the penalties for corruption offences.
She also cited the enactment of the Whistleblowers Protection Act 2010 that provides for protection and reward of individuals who report corruption cases that result in recovery of public funds as well as the National Audit Act 2008, which empowers the Auditor General to scrutinise books of accounts of the entire organisation where government has interest.
The 8th Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee instituted a probe into the multi-billion 2007 Commonwealth meeting in Kampala. That probe saw several high profile government officials implicated in alleged misuses of Chogm funds. Although some of those officials have appeared in court, no convictions have been made.
awesaka@ug.nationmedia.com
“I believe corruption is at a crisis level. It has become a malignant that all of us are used to it,” Ms Kadaga said.
She added that the 9th Parliament will not tolerate any corruption tendecies in government. Her comments were contained in a message read out on her behalf by Ndorwa West MP David Bahati on Tuesday at the end of the annual general meeting of the 5th East African Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities held in Entebbe.
To back her claim, the Speaker said research had shown that up to 20 per cent of the budgets for the East African member states end up in the pockets of the corrupt while millions continue to wallow in poverty.
She said the region is at a crossroads as corruption robs hardworking citizens of the opportunity to live better lives. “It is because of corruption that Africa continues to grapple with challenges of inadequate infrastructure, poverty, war, disease, famine, high maternal and infant mortality rates,” said the Kamuli Woman MP.
Discussions at the two-day conference focused on the strategies of promoting zero tolerance to corruption in East Africa.
Development hindered
Several delegates from Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan attended the conference. Despite a wide array of machinery at the government’s disposal to fight graft, the vice continues to blight development in the country, delegates heard.
That reality has left some like Judge John Bosco Katutsi, the former head of the Anti-Corruption Court, concluding that graft can only be solved if the culprits are hanged like it’s done in China. The World Bank, a few years ago, said at least Shs500 billion is lost due to graft in Uganda annually.
Ms Kadaga said Parliament had instituted measures to fight graft like the enactment of the Anti-Corruption Act, which strengthened the penalties for corruption offences.
She also cited the enactment of the Whistleblowers Protection Act 2010 that provides for protection and reward of individuals who report corruption cases that result in recovery of public funds as well as the National Audit Act 2008, which empowers the Auditor General to scrutinise books of accounts of the entire organisation where government has interest.
The 8th Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee instituted a probe into the multi-billion 2007 Commonwealth meeting in Kampala. That probe saw several high profile government officials implicated in alleged misuses of Chogm funds. Although some of those officials have appeared in court, no convictions have been made.
awesaka@ug.nationmedia.com
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