Signe Winding Albjerg, the Danish Ambassador to Uganda, was astonished to learn that Uganda loses 9 trillion shillings every year due to corruption. She said that commemorations will help CSOs and the government analyze the country’s progress in the anti-corruption journey and also serve as an avenue to renew joint commitments to fight corruption.
Civil society organizations have been urged not to give up in the fight against corruption.
During the commemoration of World Anti-Corruption Day 2024 held in Kampala, organized by civil society organizations, Julius Mukunda from the Civil Society Budget Advocacy Group-CSBAG said that Uganda has the best policies intended to fight corruption, but implementation is a challenge.
Mukunda added that there is deliberate inflation of costs, misallocation of resources, and making budgetary provisions for projects that don’t exist, all intended to steal money for personal gain, which he called a new face of corruption.
According to Mukunda, an assessment last year by CSBAG showed that, out of the 3.5 trillion shillings in the supplementary budget, 2.7 trillion could not qualify to pass as a legitimate supplementary budget.
Mukunda rallied civil society organizations to unite and work together to break the cycle of impunity, saying that the fight against corruption is not for the faint-hearted.
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Signe Winding Albjerg, the Danish Ambassador to Uganda, was astonished to learn that Uganda loses 9 trillion shillings every year due to corruption. She said that commemorations will help CSOs and the government analyze the country’s progress in the anti-corruption journey and also serve as an avenue to renew joint commitments to fight corruption.
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Ambassador Albjerg said that in most cases, the victims of corruption are the poorest and most vulnerable in society, such as women, children, the elderly, and young people.
"Because of corruption, funds for critical services such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, and water are insufficient in the country," she said.
She called on the government and CSOs to join forces and work together in the fight against corruption for the good of the people who are lacking critical services.
Edward Akol, the Auditor General of Government, emphasized that the persistent and evolving nature of corruption, especially in Uganda, requires a more inclusive and participatory approach that involves the youth as agents of change.
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He added that corruption in Uganda has evolved into a systemic and entrenched problem with diverse impacts on national development.
Marlon Agaba, Executive Director of the Anti-Corruption Coalition, called for the need for stringent regulations aimed at confiscating the properties of individuals involved in corruption in the country.
Fred Kayongo Male
Freelancer