CORRUPTION IN UGANDA

This article is dedicated to people living in Uganda.

Some time back I was working as a teacher in one of the schools around this city and a case came up where a colleague of ours was rumored to have been romantically connected to one of the students. Naturally we all condemned this rather shameful act.

Later on as I shared a drink with a fellow teacher one evening, he told me some thing that later made me change the way I look at things. According to him all those people who were so critical of their friend, especially the male ones were doing it out of jealous because given chance they would all do the same. I did not exactly agree with him I guess I was also under the attack of “nugu” [jealous].

I left that school shortly after the incident but when I returned a few years later, that friend of mine told me of how the teacher that made the loudest noise over the other case had now gone on rampage sleeping with every student that dared cross his path.

The actions of this teacher though regrettable helped me understand human nature better than I did previously.

If one visited Uganda he would get an impression of a country which is so determined to fight corruption, clean up and generally hold every corrupt official accountable.
Not with the numerous cases of corruption in courts, the public accounts committee of parliament chaired by Nandala Mafabi, cases of Global fund, the actions being taken against corrupt NAADS officials, etc. Not forgetting that we probably have more institutions created just for the sake of fighting corruption than any other country in the region for example the IGG’s office, Ministry of Ethics and Integrity to mention but a few.
Of late the head of state has come up very strongly to fight corruption his crack down on Ministry accounting officials, his call for punishing of NAADS officials, I hear he has even offered security to MPS probing GHOGM funds and most Ugandans are in support of his moves. So the people of Uganda must be tired of corruption a visitor would think.

However one would have to stay a little longer to realize that all this is nothing but “Katemba” [drama] actuary Uganda is a big theatre where every body is an actor.

Honestly I was one of those who were initially impressed by the presidents’ move to crack down on corruption some of us have waited for 23 years to see this kind of enthusiasm.

However before the excitement almost got to my head I remembered my fellow teacher and I couldn’t help but ask a few questions. Is this not the man who some years back not only reappointed ministers who had been censored by Parliament but went ahead to promote them as well? Am sure if the donors had not threatened to withhold their aid over Global fund, the former Ministers of health would still be serving ministers probably in the same ministry. Does any one remember the five million shillings that were given in 2005 as the constitution was being amended to allow lifting of term limits?

Temangalo is still fresh in the minds of Ugandans is this not the man who went out of his way to protect his friend Amama Mbabazi who had stolen workers money? Aren’t the MPS who are now being protected not the same MPS who probed Temangalo? Why does he trust them now?
Temangalo was theft of workers money you can hide behind technicalities but it still remains theft as if that was not enough, the MPS who defended Amama were rewarded with ministerial positions what message was he trying to send out?

So what has changed? I think there are two things the fist one being the players involved but the second and most important, is the time.
2011 is around the corner and all parties are positioning them selves in order to impress and out do each other and since corruption has become a big issue he must appear to be strongly against it.

Most of the people being put to task are the technocrats who have no constituencies so even if they are punished no one will claim they were their men this is probably why Dr Suruma was sacrificed. And this should be a warning to all accounting officers please halt your eating until 2011 elections then you can resume otherwise you may not only be fired but you will also go to jail and your case will be used to influence the electorate. But most importantly no one will be allowed to stand in the way of the 4th term.

I also have a feeling that even though he managed to prevail upon MPS over Temangalo, deep down he knows what he did was wrong other wise why did he fire Suruma who had just been voted the best Finance Minister in Africa?

If the people of Uganda could vote because you have fired corrupt officials then they must be clean people who hate corruption. Far from the truth we all love corruption from the big guys in big offices to the forces, the religious leaders down to the peasant what we have in common is that not many of us have access to it and the rest of us are just envious.

This takes me to the opposition especially FDC and DP I have talked to some supporters who believe that when their parties come to power every thing will change for the better I cant help but feel sorry for these guys one needs to look at local councils being run by opposition parties especially here in Kampala to understand what awaits us incase these parties take over the national leadership of this country.

In the run up to the general elections of 2006 it was reported that General Muntu had accused Hon Salam Musumba of misappropriation of funds meant for mobilization these reports were never denied by either Muntu or Musumba recently I heard Besigye saying that he was grooming Musumba to succeed him in future do you see where we are heading?

At the end of it all, we all love corruption society does not look at corruption as a way of depriving them of services they are entitled to if this was the case we would have organized some kind of mob justice for people who swindled money meant for TB, AID and Malaria patients. Who has never suffered from malaria or lost a relative to AIDS in this country?

Since we do not understand the impact of corruption, we do not look at those involved as killers but rather as lucky ones who have had an opportunity to eat so all we can do is feel “nugu” but wait patiently for our tern to eat.

A few people can have access to the granary this means the majority of us have one thing in common jealous and if one takes advantage of it and promises to punish the “eating” clique or promise to transform us into the eating club or both then we will give him our votes don’t ask me what happens after that.