Faridah N Kulumba
Africa-Press – Uganda. At the beginning of this month, the Corruption Perception Index released by Transparency International showed that Uganda is the fourth most corrupt country in the East African Community (EAC). This means that the country has maintained a score of 26 for the past two years after it dropped from 28 in 2019. Globally, Uganda ranks number 142 out of 180.
In November last year, also the United States study conducted by the Fragile State Index (FSI) listed Uganda among the countries whose stability is considered fragile. And the third East African country to be on the top list. The FSI annual ranking of 179 countries based on the pressures that contribute to their stability, showed that Uganda is among 19 countries whose stability is labeled fragile.
Among the factors that are attributed to a fragile state include weak central governments or ineffective ones that have little practical control over much territory, non-provision of public services, widespread corruption and criminality, refugees, involuntary movement of populations, and sharp economic decline.
Most corrupt institutions
According to the report Uganda Police was ranked as the most corrupt institution, in the second position the Judiciary, tax services in third position, and the land services sector in fourth position.
Corruption in Uganda is almost in every government sector. The Transparency International report on the corruption challenge in Uganda showed that the country increased to 142 in 2020 from 137 in 2019. This rank was based on how corrupt Uganda’s public sector is perceived to be.
There are many factors that contribute to corruption challenges such as economic hardship, lack of assertiveness, weak and ineffective judicial system, and lack of visible corruptive role models. Nepotism, and many more.
The 2006 report by Global Integrity estimated that more than half of the Uganda government’s annual budget is lost to corruption each year, amounting to USD 950 million.
The Index Transparency International ranks 180 countries and territories around the world by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, scoring on the scale of zero (highly corrupt) and 100 (very clean).
Other countries in East Africa on the top list
The 2022 Index has also ranked South Sudan as the most corrupt country in the region, followed by Burundi and DR Congo, which is attributed to wars in both countries.
According to the report with a score of 20, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the 15 most corrupt countries in the world. The unstable political context and deeply embedded corruption facilitate the activities of illegal armed groups. Poorly governed defense and security forces struggle to contend with such challenges and the corruption that robs them of resources undermines the state’s response.
Countries in the good books
The best country to fight corruption in Africa was Seychelles. The country scored 70 of 100 to put it at the top of the continent. Seychelles is followed by Botswana and Cape Verde with scores of 61 and 57, respectively.
Rwanda is one of the countries in EAC that continues to maintain the best record in fighting corruption and it ranks 54th globally, followed by Tanzania and Kenya. Denmark has maintained its position as the least corrupt country in the world, followed by Finland, New Zealand, and Norway.
Overall performance
The Index shows that most countries put in less effort when it comes to fighting corruption. 95 percent of countries have made little to no progress since 2017.
Will Uganda overcome the corruption challenge?
One year back the Ugandan government acknowledged that corruption is one of the main challenges facing the country. But recent developments raise questions about the government’s political will to address it.
According to Uganda’s Anti Corruption overview, several reforms, laws, and new institutions to fight corruption have been established, however. In spite of recent investigations and corruption trials, effective enforcement of laws in place is still lacking.
Uganda’s corruption is characterized by the grand scale-theft of public funds and petty corruption involving public officials at all levels of society as well as a widespread political patronage system.
On the 26th of January this year, while the ruling party National Resistance Movement led by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni was celebrating to mark 37th year since they overthrew the then government, Museveni warned government officials including District Internal Security and Police to stamp out the corruption of face his wrath.
He tasked Ugandans to endeavor to get evidence implicating the culprits so that they can face the law. President Museveni is positive that corruption will be stamped out of the country if those who are caught in the act are arrested and forced to refund the money.
According to President Museveni, corruption is failing the country’s development agenda. However, he previously defended governments’ slow response to tackling the corruption challenge saying that the vice had become complex with educated people in public offices making it almost impossible to pin them without evidence.
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