“There’s an integrity crisis in the country and we as the Inspectorate of Government are now more interested in how as a country, we can build trust and raise a generation of people who have integrity and are determined to do the right thing.”
Mr. George Bamugemereire.
Efforts to curb rampant corruption in Uganda, within both public and private sector, has often fallen short of meeting success; one of the recurrent reasons, being general public lack of integrity; a key national value intended at engendering honesty and strong-moral and ethical conduct among Ugandans.
The 2020 fourth Uganda National Integrity Survey commissioned by the Inspectorate of Government (IG) – the lead anti-corruption agency, found that Ugandans held a high perception of corruption as rampant in the country, with respondents surveyed reporting: bribery, solicitation and nepotism as the most common practices respectively; the main driver being moral decadence and the general lack of integrity within society.
In December 2020, while appearing on Face The Citizens TV show, produced by Wizarts Foundation to review progress on government’s pledge to end corruption in Uganda, the then Deputy Inspector General of Government (DIGG), Mr. George Bamugemereire revealed that although there were inroads made in terms of putting in place policy regimes and structures to fight the vice, the current national integrity crisis defeated this effort.
“There’s an integrity crisis in the country and we as the Inspectorate of Government are now more interested in how as a country, we can build trust and raise a generation of people who have integrity and are determined to do the right thing.” Bamugemereire noted during the discussion.
You can follow the discussion here:
“This government has put in place so many measures to fight corruption.” Bamugemereire asserted, adding that: “Uganda is actually the envy of many countries in terms of laws, institutions and structures to fight corruption. So, those are actually in place, what we are lacking; are people of integrity.”
It goes without saying that corruption, especially within the public sector, erodes public trust and undermines national development plans, and government is well aware of this. Where the challenge is, however, is implementing commitments to eradicate the vice and deliberate promotion of the national values.
The corruption index by Transparency International puts Uganda in the 142nd position, out of 180 countries assessed. Still, a March 2021 study by Afro-barometer, a pan-African survey research network, found that majority of Ugandans think corruption is getting worse, calling for more concerted efforts towards ending the vice.
