Non-state actors in Bunyoro tipped on fighting corruption
He urged Ugandans to stop glorifying corrupt individuals and instead adopt a social strategy that isolates them.
Masindi: Non-state actors in Bunyoro have been urged to take a more active role in the fight against corruption as government intensifies efforts to develop a new national anti-corruption strategy.
The call was made during a one-day stakeholder consultation held at Masindi Kolping Hotel, organized by the Directorate for Ethics and Integrity on Monday.
The event brought together participants from civil society organizations, religious institutions, the media, and cultural leaders from the Bunyoro sub-region.
Masindi Assistant Resident District Commissioner (ARDC) Patrick Asiimwe has expressed concern that widespread public acceptance of corruption is significantly hindering efforts to fight the vice in the district.
Asiimwe said that many residents in Masindi have normalized corruption, often defending suspects and putting pressure on law enforcement officers.
“When someone is arrested on corruption charges, people rush to defend them, compromising investigations. If enforcement agencies were to arrest everyone involved, the entire district would be in chaos,” Asiimwe warned.
Also speaking at the meeting, Commissioner for Information and Communication Nicholas Abola emphasized the deep-rooted nature of corruption in society, calling it “as old as man himself.” He urged Ugandans to stop glorifying corrupt individuals and instead adopt a social strategy that isolates them.
“Until society starts shaming the corrupt instead of praising them, this fight will remain difficult,” Abola said, noting that corruption continues to cripple national development.
Participants identified several key drivers of corruption, including weak and selective law enforcement, low wages, and salary disparities among public servants.
They proposed a set of recommendations to guide the national anti-corruption strategy, including; increased collaboration between anti-corruption agencies, greater involvement of religious, cultural, and community leaders and stronger enforcement mechanisms and accountability structures.
The Directorate for Ethics and Integrity is currently collecting stakeholder input from across the country to inform the new anti-corruption strategy, aimed at intensifying the fight against graft at all levels of government and society.
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